The Good Road

Earl Bridges and Craig Martin invite viewers to explore change-makers in the world of philanthropy. Returning to their “hometown” of Bangkok, the show starts with nostalgia and noodles as they recall their childhood in the city. Explore what it means to engage in one’s local community in a positive way regardless of formal occupation, religious affiliation or economic status.

Earl and Craig embark on an adventure that starts in Nairobi, Kenya and ends at a wildlife ranger base in the Chyulu Hills. The Good Road team joins a convoy helmed by TED Fellow Erik Hersman and his fellow BRCK co-founders on the expedition. Earl, Craig, the BRCK team and the rangers chat about what is possible through combining modern technology with anti-poaching efforts in the information age.

Earl Bridges and Craig Martin travel to Alabama Village, a small community only a few miles outside of Mobile, but seemingly worlds apart. It is an impoverished and often violent community with few legitimate work opportunities but with the help of the Light of the Village program, people have a chance at escaping the cycles of crime and violence.

In this episode, Earl and Craig are back with the BRCK team as they bring WiFi to several small, remote Islands in the Zanzibar Archipelago. After an overnight journey from Kenya on an ancient wooden sailboat, The Good Road and BRCK teams arrive on Pemba Island. The team discusses the implications and importance of bringing the Internet to places like Pemba.

The Good Road returns to Bangkok and ends up in the 2nd largest maximum-security prison in all of Thailand, luckily by invitation. They receive a rare tour of the grounds as well as the cells before speaking to a Thai prisoner about what daily life is like in a Thai prison. Afterward, they discover a unique approach to vocational training and pre-release development at the prison.

The Good Road explores the impact that storytelling can have on the youth of underprivileged communities in Nairobi, Kenya. Storytelling helps people from the slums tell their own stories and gives a voice to a new generation. Craig and Earl hear the stories of three individuals who grew up in Nairobi but were able to escape the crime and poverty surrounding them to build a new life.

There are so many heroes in the world of philanthropy and The Good Road crew learns so much from these heroes. Hosts Earl Bridges and Craig Martin meet two such heroes in Uganda. Their journey to find them begins in a Matatu that takes them through the countryside to a series of geographic gems discovering all kinds of bizarre, funny, and interesting Ugandan cultural details along the way.

This episode finds Earl and Craig back on the road in Southeast Asia in the former capital of one of the most politically controversial countries in the region, Myanmar. War, genocide, and conflict have raged in this country dominated by ethnic struggle for decades. But beyond the headlines, there are powerful stories of unexpected heroes.