Theresa Kachindamoto comes from a long lineage of Ngoni chiefs (traditional authority figures) in Malawi, Africa.

As the lastborn of 12 children, she never thought that she would become a senior chief. She was the only child in the family who received an education and moved to live and work in another city.

But one day, her community came calling. The Ngoni tribe had selected her as the Chief because she was “good with people”.

In some places in Africa, 10-year-old girls join “marriage initiation camps” where they lose their virginity and learn how to “please a man”. When she became a Chief, Theresa decided to change that.

With the support of the President and First Lady of Malawi, Theresa abolished child marriages and moved her mission onto a national and international level. Her brave efforts paid off. In 2017, Malawi made historic, landmark changes in its constitution and enforced a law that bans marriages under the age of 18.

"Several girls I helped rescue returned as adults to give thanks. Each visit reminds me how important this work is. We get to shape a generation by narrowing the gender equality gap," Theresa commented.

Malone Mukwende (@malone_187), 20, is a medical student at St. George’s, University of London. When Malone arrived at school he noticed that students were only taught disease symptoms on fair skin subjects. This is what inspired him to partner with two other university staff to create the “Mind the Gap” handbook.⁠

The goal is to help healthcare professionals recognize certain symptoms on Black and Brown skin tones. “Mind the Gap” includes side-by-side pictures of illness and how they appear on white and dark skin.⁠

One example from the book refers to Kawasaki disease - a disease commonly characterized by a rash. The condition appears differently on darker skin, often making it more difficult to notice and diagnose. ⁠

“So if we are empowered by this, we'll be well-equipped and be able to better serve the diverse population of people that are in the world,” Malone said in an interview. ⁠

Collette Divitto, 30, who was born with Down syndrome, studied hard and completed the Clemson University’s LIFE program a year early. Soon after, she decided to leave her family home in Ridgefield, CT, and move to Boston to live on her own. ⁠

That’s when her dreams were met with disappointment - Collette was rejected at all job interviews she attended. But that minor setback couldn't stop her. She became even more resolved to pursue her dreams. ⁠

After no one would hire her, Collette turned her baking hobby into a booming business named Collettey’s. Now her customers can purchase Collettey’s cookies at locations in Massachusetts, California, and Connecticut, and also online.⁠

“My favorite part of my company is creating more jobs for people with all types of disabilities,” Collette said. “…Do not let people bring you down and do not give up on your careers and dreams because when one door closes, another door opens.”

13-year-old Jaequan Faulkner sold $2 hot dogs with $1 soda and chips outside his home in Minneapolis, MN. His goal was to earn money for school clothes.

Unexpectedly, someone sent an email complaint with the Minneapolis Health Department about his business. But even though he was in violation, authorities didn't close down his stand.

Instead, they equipped him with thermometers, food containers, hand sanitizer, and utensil-cleaning stations. They also offered guidance on proper food handling and even covered the $87 cost for his "short-term food permit."

All of this support caused his business to flourish. He began selling "between 100 to 150 hot dogs a day."

“My auntie always told me, ‘Can’t nobody stop you but you.’ If you say ‘I can’t do that,’ well, then you just set yourself up for failure.”

Adhara Pérez of Mexico City was diagnosed on the autism spectrum at the age of 3. Her condition can cause difficulties in social interactions.⁠

Adhara, now 9, shared that the children at school often bullied her and called her a “weirdo” and an “oddball”. On seeing how unusually smart her daughter was, Adhara’s mom, Nallely Sanchez, decided to take her to therapy. ⁠

That is where her IQ was tested and estimated at 162 - slightly higher than that of Einstein and Stephen Hawking (both estimated at about 160). ⁠

Following a special studying plan, Adhara finished middle school by the age of 6, and high school by the age of 8. At present, she is earning 2 degrees online - one in industrial engineering in mathematics and one in systems engineering.⁠

Every weekend, Kayzen Hunter, 8, goes for breakfast with his grandfather or his family at the Waffle House in Little Rock, AR. ⁠

His favorite waiter there is Devonte Gardner, a father of two daughters. As the family really like Devonte and his positive outlook on life, they always sit in his section at the restaurant. ⁠

When Kayzen found out that Devonte was having difficulties and he was walking to work, the young boy decided to start a GoFundMe page with his mother’s help. ⁠
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Kayzen hoped to raise about $5,000 for Devonte to buy a car. The page quickly collected more than $115,000.⁠
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That was enough for Devonte and his family to move from the motel they were living into a better apartment.⁠
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“I’m gonna save the rest because I want to put my daughters in a good school, I want them to be in a good environment,” Devonte commented.⁠

Jennifer Rocha, a recent graduate from the University of California San Diego, chose a very special way to honor her parents. Her mom and dad are migrants, and they have been working hard for years to support their three daughters' education.

Jennifer took her graduation photos in the fields where her parents spend their days working, hoping that her story will serve as an inspiration for other immigrant families.

“I wanted to take those pictures out there, specifically in the field, because that’s what made me go to college,” Jennifer commented.

“My parents being migrant workers were able to have three girls get their college education, and you can do it too, and your kids can.”

Liz Smith, a 40-year-old nurse at Franciscan Children’s Hospital in Brighton, MA, had always wanted to be a mother. She had tried several different methods of getting pregnant, including sperm donation and IVF (in vitro fertilization) procedure. But nothing worked.

In 2016 she met little Gisele, who was a baby at the time. She was born prematurely at 29 weeks and had neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) due to narcotics exposure during the pregnancy. Gisele weighed only 1 pound and 14 ounces (850g). Liz visited the baby every day, but no one else came to see her for five months.

The state took away custody of Gisele from her birth parents, so Liz decided to start fostering her. Her love for the little girl grew even more. On October 18, 2018, she legally adopted Gisele, giving her the surname Smith.

Valenti offered to pay $150 of his own money for a gym membership, instead of arresting the kid. He said he’d rather have the boy shooting hoops instead of “being on the street and possibly getting into trouble”.

"It seems like all that's represented (in the news) with police is the bad stuff, and it's a shame, because when I took this job 23 years ago, I didn't think everyone was going to hate you, which is sometimes the feeling you get as a police officer," Valenti told the Chicago Tribune.

53-year-old Joseph Sonnier always planned to go to college after high school. However, due to family circumstances he couldn’t continue his education. After taking various jobs, he started work as a janitor at Port Barre Elementary School in Port Barre, LA.

One day, the school principal, Wesley Jones, had a chat with Sonnier. “I think you’d benefit the students better as an educator,” the principal told him.

Sonnier took his advice and went back to school while working full-time.

His strenuous efforts paid off. He graduated with an associate’s degree in 2006 from Louisiana State University Eunice, and in 2008, he received his bachelor’s degree at the University of Louisiana. Then he went for a master’s degree at the same university.

Years later, Sonnier is now principal at the same school he had worked as a janitor for 27 years.

Singer Billy Joel was disappointed that the best seats at his concerts were always full of unimpressed rich people.

"The guy's there with the girlfriend...'Okay, Piano Man, entertain me,' and they don't do anything. It was a drag and you'd hear all the kids yelling in the back and you know they didn't get a shot at those tickets," Joel explains.

That is why he decided to create a new policy for those front seats. He now holds the tickets and sends his road crew to the back of the room to bring people from the worst seats to the front rows.

"This way you've got people in the front row that are really happy to be there, real fans," he added.

Sabrina Plannerer, from Mogi das Cruzes, Brazil, and her partner purchased a Shell gas station. Soon, they noticed a wandering dog around it, abandoned by his previous owners. So they adopted him and named him Negão. They bought him a new leash, a dog house, and even made him an official employee with its ID card.

“Negão waits for people to arrive, and then goes up to say hello, winning them over with his charms. Customers love him,” Sabrina commented.

In 1994 social documentary photographer Sebastião Salgado took over family land in Minas Gerais, Brazil. But instead of the tropical paradise he remembered as a child, the trees were cut down and there were no wild animals left. This combined with his last assignment - reporting on the genocide in Rwanda - left him devastated.

His wife came up with an idea - why not recruit partners, raise funds and restore the forest? And so they did.

Now, about two decades later, the results of their long and hard work are evident. Almost 3 million trees have completely transformed the environment.

Many species found a home in the new Salgado forest. Of the 127 bird species identified, six are endangered. There are also 33 species of mammals, two of which are endangered worldwide, 15 species of amphibians, 15 species of reptiles and 293 species of plants.

Even after their success, the Salgado’s aren’t planning to stop any time soon. Their next goal is to increase the number of plant and animal species beyond their land and increase biodiversity in the region around it.

When Nicole Renae turned 10, her grandma surprised her with a sweet gray dog which she named Chloe. “I just loved her to death,” Nicole told The Dodo. “She was my best friend.” ⁠

Some time passed and sadly, due to unfortunate circumstances Chloe had to be sent to a local shelter. Years went by. Nicole grew up, got married and had a daughter of her own. ⁠

One day, she ran across a Facebook post about a senior dog in need of a home. The dog looked a lot like Chloe and had the same name. Nicole decided to adopt the senior dog and brought her home.⁠

“She just ran to me and started licking my face,” Nicole said. The appearance, the mannerisms, the name - all of it made her convinced that was actually her Chloe, the dog from her childhood. “Everybody thought I was crazy,” she recalls⁠

She visited the veterinarian’s office where Chloe was microchipped all those years ago to check her ID. “The numbers were an exact match. It was her,” Nicole said excitedly. “I’m so happy to have her back.”⁠

Carrie Hannah, director at the Delmar College of Hair and Esthetics in Canada, was very surprised when an elderly man entered the salon. But the man, who did not want to be identified, didn’t ask for a haircut. He wanted to join an upcoming beauty lesson. ⁠

“He started to explain that his wife was struggling with her vision right now, and was struggling to curl her own hair and was burning herself. He really wanted to help her,” Hannah commented.⁠

She gave him an impromptu lesson in curling hair and applying mascara. “We really needed some cheering up, and he sure did it,” she added. ⁠

enjamin Lloyd is an artist from New Zealand. In 2016 he started giving temporary tattoos to kids at Auckland’s Starship Children’s Hospital to make them feel better. He doesn't use a needle, of course. Instead, he uses an airbrush.

“Nothing brings me more joy than boosting kids' confidence with a custom tattoo,” he commented. “The only bad thing is that they don’t want to take a shower afterwards.”

As a child, Carl Allamby had one dream - to become a doctor. At that time, that seemed impossible.⁠
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His childhood was tough. For days and even weeks, his family of eight went without lights, gas or water at their home in East Cleveland, OH.⁠

After finishing high school, he opened his own small business - Allamby’s Auto Service. Carl worked in that business for 25 years but he never forgot his childhood dream. In 2010, he began pre-med classes and in 2015, he enrolled into Medical School at Northeast Ohio Medical University.⁠

At the age of 47, he graduated from the university. And earlier this year, already 51-years old, he started his first job as an attending physician at Cleveland Clinic’s Hillcrest Hospital in Mayfield Heights, OH.⁠

"I feel we all have the opportunity to make our lives better. If you want it, go after it. Don’t give up," Carl advises.⁠

Bill Sumiel lives in Salem, New Jersey. On his way home from dialysis, he shared with his uber driver, Tim Letts, about his need for a kidney transplant.

"If you'll take my name and number, I'll give a kidney to you," Tim, an army veteran, commented. He believes this encounter was God's work.

Tim proved to be a match, and last year, the two of them underwent successful surgery. Tim and Bill became close friends and despite the long distance between them, they still keep in touch.

Odin Frost, 18, and his best friend Jordon Granberry, 18, were both born with brain damage and doctors’ prognosis for their future was bleak. ⁠

“My son and his best friend were both told their survival rate would be around 2%, that they’d never walk, and that they’d live in a vegetative state – if they made it past seven years,” said Odin’s dad, Tim.⁠

At the age of three the boys joined school for children with special needs where they met and became best friends. The boys’ parents took a picture of their very first day of school. 15 years later, on their high school graduation day, the boys recreated that picture.⁠

By coming this far, Odin and Jordon exceeded doctors’ expectations. “Both walked the stage and graduated. I was on cloud 19. I was so fricking proud of him,” Odin’s dad added.⁠

Two seniors were nominated to be the queen at S&S High School in Sadler, TX - friends Trinity Arrington and Emily Petty.⁠

Trinity was shocked when her name was announced. Determined to show her affection for Emily, a senior with special needs, who always wanted to be a princess, Trinity shared the title with her friend, giving her the crown.⁠

Havva Kul was awarded with an honorary degree at the University of Sakarya, Turkey, for reading aloud lecture notes for her blind daughter, Berru Merve Kul, during her four-year course of study at the school.⁠

Havva’s dedication and its recognition by the university quickly went viral and was shared tens of thousands of times on social media.⁠

Born with a genetic condition, 2-year-old Cillian Jackson was unable to move around independently. His parents could not afford the $20,000 motorized wheelchair he needed, and their insurance refused to cover it.⁠
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Cillian’s life changed when the robotics students at his father’s former Minnesota high school took it upon themselves to build him a custom set of wheels at an affordable price.⁠

The multi-award winning Rogue Robotics team at Farmington High School modified a Power Wheels toy car into a motorized wheelchair suitable for Cillian. The improvised wheelchair is equipped with a joystick, safety bumpers, and a harness.⁠
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“I think we won here more than we do in our competitions,” one of the team members said.⁠

“Instead of completing a task, we’re helping change someone’s life,” another one added.⁠

Chang Wan-ji, 83, and his wife Hsu Sho-er, 84, run a laundry service in central Taiwan. It is not uncommon for people to forget their clothes there and never pick them up.

Their grandson, Reef Chang, who is interested in fashion, came up with a cute idea for the elderly couple. Reef managed to persuade his grandparents to put on the old, forgotten clothes and pose with them for the camera. Chang and Hsu had never had a social media account, but now their Instagram @wantshowasyoung has more than 600,000 followers.

“They are very happy because many encourage them and praise them. They feel as if they now have many more grandchildren in the world,” Reef said. “Through these posts now, my grandparents also want to tell elderly people not to limit themselves and live every moment to the fullest.”

Residents of West Seneca, New York, used to see a man, known as Kevin, on the corner of Potters Road and Slade Avenue. Kevin would typically hold a sign saying he’s drug and alcohol-free and he was looking for a job.⁠
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“If I didn’t see him for two or three days at a time it was unusual. I usually saw him a couple times a week,” said Jesse Dixon, whose children often gave Kevin treats. ⁠

“He’s just a nice guy. It seems like he’d fallen on hard times so we were just trying to help him through it.” ⁠
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Over the weekend, Kevin wasn’t there anymore, but there was a sign left behind in appreciation for all the help he got from the community.⁠

Antoine Moses, 23, from Quebec, Canada, has a new record to be proud of. He recently broke the Guinness World Record for planting trees in 24 hours. He planted 23,060 saplings at an average pace of 16 trees per minute - one every 3.75 seconds.

He was not alone though. A team of six people helped him plant the trees in a deforested area about 100 kilometers south of High Level, Alberta, Canada.

“As soon as I broke that original record, I was happy and hugging the whole crew around me. I was excited and happy, but not even 10 seconds after I just kept going,” he commented.

In the last seven years, Antoine has planted more than 1.3 million trees. He is excited to see someone break his record and even offers help.

“I love the thrill of helping people. If someone wants to beat it, I help them, I give them my tips. I am not afraid,” he added.

R.E. Baker Elementary in Bentonville, AR, decided to do a "Spirit Week" to show school unity and spirit. Each day, students gоt to dress up in a predetermined theme.⁠

Monday was "Super Comfy Day," Tuesday "Super Kind Day," Wednesday was "Super Bright Day," Thursday was "Super Silly Day," and the week ended with Friday - "Superhero Day." ⁠

8-year-old Caroline Carlson surprised everyone by dressing like her second-grade teacher - Miss. Jaime Deigh.⁠

"All week Caroline was saying, "I want to be like Miss Deigh. She is a superhero," Cortney Carlson, Caroline's mom, commented.⁠
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The young girl even made her mom curl her hair to look just like the teacher. ⁠

"It makes me understand why I do what I do each and every day," Jaime commented. "It was pretty special that she looks at me like her superhero." ⁠

More than 10 years ago, Steve Greig, an accountant in Denver, CO, lost his beloved dog, Wolfgang. The two were inseparable for about 12 years and losing Wolfgang changed Steve.

After grieving for months, Steve wanted to make a difference in someone else’s life. That’s why he decided to adopt the “least adoptable” senior dog. Giving a dog the chance to spend the last years of his/her life happily seemed rewarding to Steve.

He visited a local shelter and adopted a 12-year-old chihuahua with a heart murmur and four bad knees. Being an animal lover, Steve soon adopted 8 other senior dogs. In addition, Steve has a pig, 2 rabbits, 2 ducks, 4 chickens, 2 cats, and a 50-pound turkey.

He didn't stop adopting even during the pandemic. Steve even wrote “The One and Only Wolfgang” - a book about his experience.

As a foster child, Kareem’s number one wish was to have a mother. Unfortunately, over time he lost faith that this would ever come true.

Elaine Newkirk was just one of the many families who took Kareem into their home.

When Kareem moved in with her, he was 6 years old and his behavior was really bad. He screamed at people and beat them. He was one little angry boy. But that didn’t push Elaine away. She was patient with him and showed him what true love looked like.

Three years later, Kareem's behavior was completely different. Thanks to Elaine’s love and devotion, he became a sweet and caring child.

‘’No hitting. No cursing. No holes in the wall,'' Elaine commented. ‘’He somehow stole the hearts of me and my children.’’

On 20 March 2018, Elaine officially adopted him and the little boy couldn’t hold back his tears. Kareem hopes more people around the world will follow Elaine's example and adopt a foster child.

Fred Brown is a 95-year-old Air Force veteran. For the past 40 years, he has walked a mile every day to visit the Dunkin' store in Lynn, MA.

That’s why employees from the store surprised him on his 95th birthday to thank him for his loyalty. They gave him 95 gift cards, a cake, and a dozen donuts with his picture on them.

"They'll never top this - this was fantastic," Fred commented.

While shopping at Walmart, Rory McCarty, saw an elderly gentleman working there as a cashier. The man reminded Rory of a viral story of an 82-year-old woman, also a Walmart employee, who retired after a stranger set up an online fundraiser to help her. So, Rory did the same.⁠

Rory felt inspired to set up a GoFundMe as the elderly man, Navy veteran Warren Marion, was a widower and had to keep on working to pay off his house.⁠

More than 6,500 people donated to Warren, quickly raising about $167,000.⁠

"I wanted to help this Navy Veteran to live the remainder of his years traveling to see his kids in Florida," Rory wrote on the GoFundMe page. "Get him off his feet for 8 hrs at a time. And do the things he would love to do that he may not be able to for financial reasons."⁠