10 solutions of 2020 making you believe in kindness

2020 turned out unexpectedly hard for each of us. Besides the common misfortune, i.e. the epidemic that has overtaken the entire planet, we had to fight natural disasters and solve acute social problems, which have become even more acute in quarantine. But, as we know, difficulties unite us. This rule has also worked at present. It's possible to believe in miracles in anticipation of New Year's holidays if summing up the year, we recall 10 exceptional cases displaying human sensibility.

Feed for animals in exchange for plastic bottles

A special box was installed in Kyiv this year, which blew up the Internet. Kyiv residents came to this machine en masse, and soon its photos spread on Ukrainian social networks. This machine exchanges plastic bottles for food for cats and dogs. The initiative belongs to the "Yapomoga" charity organization. The machine works very simply: you need to put a plastic bottle in a special hole in the box, and 50 grams of mixed food for cats and dogs immediately pour into bowls. During the first week of running, Yapomagabox collected 2160 bottles, equivalent to 54 kg of plastic. It means four-legged creatures received 68 kg of feed that week. The organization plans to expand the network of "kind" boxes helping cats and dogs on the streets; it's especially important in the cold season. A special bonus: Yapomogabox isn't only a good cause for street animals, but also a benefit for the environment. All the plastic collected in the box is sent for recycling, so it doesn't pollute the environment.

A physicist teaching half a million people at once

This year, Pavlo Viktor from Odesa will finish filming an online physics course. The school teacher recorded his lessons on video and posted them on the Internet. Now 470 thousand people have subscribed to his channel, and he has 30 million views, and this year, YouTube even awarded him the "Silver Creator Award."

"We know you didn't do it for a reward. You do it because you have the urge to create and share, and because you've found an audience that does care," YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki said in a message.

During 6 years, he shot 720 videos so that school students could better understand physics. Although not all viewers are students, because physics is a science, interesting to people of all ages.

A girl who refused to leave her dog in Wuhan

The beginning of the coronavirus epic seems to have been an eternity ago. First lockdowns and closed borders now seem like a bad dream. However, these events happened not so long ago; in February, an ordinary girl became famous all over Ukraine. Anastasia Zinchenko planned to return home like all Ukrainians stuck in a total quarantine in Wuhan. However, the girl could not evacuate to Ukraine with her dog; the Chinese authorities didn't allow her to take the pet. Choosing between returning home and her dog, the girl, of course, chose her dog Misha and isolation in Wuhan, which only intensified the quarantine measures. At some point, Anastasia couldn't even leave the house to buy food. The girl's deed for her pet touched many people because they'd feel the same about their "furry friends." Incidentally, the girl with the dog returned to Ukraine only in May this year.

People with disabilities could climb the mountains on a special cart, first in Ukraine

Being in the mountains always means seeing incredible views, and having energy surges and unique sensations. However, mountain climbing and hiking aren't easily accessible to everyone; people with disabilities need extra help to experience such simple joys. Therefore, the "On3Wheels" project was created to help them. Thanks to the initiative, in the summer of 2020, the first mountain-climbing happened with a help of a cart. 2 people with disabilities conquered Mount Pikui. Now anyone can go on a hike and simultaneously feel calm and normal.

"We aim to change the attitude towards people with disabilities. And how can we do it? Only with communication. Volunteers get to know them, communicate and joke when climbing mountains. And through direct communication, attitudes change," the project's founder, Sashko Lutsyk, says.

Lviv doctors became superheroes for children

Children are often afraid of going to the doctors and, in fact, doctors themselves. To help them cope with this fear and not be afraid, the Lviv regional children's hospital OKHMATDIT created and implemented a "Doctors-Superheroes" photo project. 22 doctors dressed up in costumes of the most popular superheroes. The children are delighted with this solution: "Recently, before taking my colleague's 3.5-year-old boy to the operating table, I showed him a photo of his surgeon and anesthesiologist in superhero costumes. In response, Little Mateichyk boasted of his Captain America T-shirt and was not afraid to go further," the Chairperson of the Board of Trustees and a pediatrician, Andriana Malska, said.

Ternopil dentist treats Ukrainian soldiers in eastern Ukraine

Andrii Biliak has his own clinic in Ternopil, but he also constantly travels to the JFO zone to treat our military for free as part of the Tryzub-Dental volunteer project. The doctor travels to the East several times a year and has already made 15 trips on a volunteer basis. Andrii Biliak mainly treats service people in a mobile complex called "Tryzub-2." It's a car specially adapted to provide dental care in the field with modern treatment protocols.

"We understand that our guys don't have the opportunity to visit private dentists. They need to serve, protect areas of the front trusted to them. We provide a range of dental services from simple periodontal treatment or caries to complex surgical removals," a volunteer doctor shares.

Colleagues, compassionate Ukrainians, and diaspora representatives help the dentist in the project's implementation. Thanks to joint efforts, 10 service people in the JFO zone receive professional dental care every day.

Police fed an Italian grandmother

In Florence, an 87-year-old woman lost her assistant during the quarantine, who visited her every day. The girl didn't get in touch for several days, and the pensioner couldn't cook herself. According to the grandmother, her son lives in another city, and she didn't want to bother him, thinking that she'd manage on her own. But the woman's arm hurt, and she was exhausted, so she called the police and told them she was hungry. Police investigated the situation and sent a car with two police officers, Antonio and Giuseppe, who prepared ravioli with tomato sauce for the lady and helped her to have dinner.

… and celebrated Christmas with a lonely grandfather

Italian police have proved their humanity, arriving at the call of an elderly Italian. In Alto Reno-Terme, Italy, a 94-year-old retiree called the police because he felt lonely to celebrate Christmas alone. When the man called the police station, he immediately warned them he was fine. "There's nobody around whom I could have a Christmas drink with. Could one of your staff visit my house for 10 minutes?" the man said. The police came to the pensioner. Together they celebrated Christmas and drank, probably something non-alcoholic, though; after all, officers were on duty. Besides, the elderly man told police about World War II and called his relatives with them.

Bandits in Africa reconciled and helped their fellow citizens

During the quarantine, hostile gangs in South Africa began working together in an unprecedented truce to deliver food to people in isolation. The number of violent crimes has dropped by 75% and sworn enemies from Cape Town are collecting food baskets for the needy.

What we're seeing here is literally a miracle. They're the best distributors in the country. They're used to distributing other white powders, but they still distribute things and know everyone," Pastor Andy Steele-Smith told BBC News. He works with gang members in his community, many of whom are convicted murderers.

The pastor remains optimistic about his community and hopes that everything will remain in place after the pandemic.

10 million hryvnias to help children with cancer

This year will also be remembered due to a large-scale charity event of the ATB supermarket chain and the Tabletochki Foundation. In every store of the network, customers could buy chocolate for 7 hryvnias and tea bags for 5. The money raised from these sales was sent to support children with cancer in Ukraine. Singer Olha Poliakova and musician DZIDZO urged citizens to support the "It concerns me. And you?" initiative starring in promotion videos. And everything worked out! It'd seem that 5 and 7 UAH are ridiculous money. What the result could be? But in just three weeks, supermarket buyers helped raise as much as 10 million hryvnias! Genuine miracles happen if you believe and do good.

Thieves stole the wheel but thanked the car's owner

It's a bonus solution that you shouldn't repeat. However, we want to end our selection symbolically, as if to justify those people who sometimes do wrong. This is a story about an American, a Milwaukee resident, Demetrius Trasse, who found one wheel missing on his car on Thanksgiving but instead received a turkey, a traditional dish for the holiday. The package with the frozen bird was hung on the hub flange.

In this unusual way, the thieves made up for their guilt before the car's owner, and although the turkey won't replace the wheel, you can agree that you cannot help but be moved by the gesture.

Summing up 2020, we can safely state that there's kindness, and humans, acting together, or answering the call of the heart, or doing something out of gratitude, can solve any problem and fill an ordinary day with the most pleasant emotions.

Also, read 6 Zelenskyi's decisions in 2020 that surprised everyone.