'Cause I will always see a brighter day, and I will always see in a different way”

— Maaike Breyman - Gypsy

 
Inspirational people are everywhere. Ordinary people, who believe in something. Who follow their heart. Who make other people smile. Who create a better place, even if it's just for one person, if only for a moment or two. 

Mycah loves people, and the beautiful things they bring to this world. This section of my website is dedicated to these everyday heroes. Meet Mycah's inspiring people here.

BARBARA GWANMESIA - AFRIBOL 

In Holland, it is customary to eat ‘oliebollen’ on New Year’s Eve; deep fried balls of dough  (sometimes filled with raisins) served with powdered sugar. They are good, but Barbara Gwanmesia found a way to improve them and help others at the same time. 

In Cameroon, many women die while giving birth, because they can’t afford the 30 Euros (25 GBP/31USD) for a hospital delivery. Dutch/Cameroon Barbara decided to do something to help these women and developed the recipe for her take on oliebollen to sell at…

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JESSICA MCCLARD - LITTLE FREE PANTRY 

I have been aware for years that people leave books they have read behind for others to read. I have always considered that a very kind thing to do. This phenomenon has resulted in Little Free Libraries popping up in lots of places. Jessica McClard was inspired by this phenomenon, and took it a step further. In Fayetteville (USA), she built the first Little Free Pantry, with food and supplies for people in need.

Anyone can access Jessica's Little Free Pantry at any time, either to place or to take items…

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SHAMAYIM HARRIS - AVALON VILLAGE 

This story begins in a poor city near Detroit, where water has been cut off and street lamps have been removed and most residents have moved away. In a poor neighborhood in this city, a retired woman decided to turn the situation around in a way that I find truly amazing and inspiring… 

Shamayim Harris (Mama Shu as her friends and volunteers call her) has no background in urban planning, but she does have a creative and visionary mind and has always treated her neigborhood as a community. After her son was…

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MARIA CLARA - POVOADO DE SERROTE LIBRARY 

I used to read a lot when I was a kid. I had a lot of books, but in addition, our family went to the library every week or so. 

As a kid growing up in Holland, I had no idea how priviliged I was. For a kid like 12 year old Maria Clara, growing up in a poor area like Povoado de Serrote in Brazil, it is very hard to find books to read. This is why she decided to take matters into her own hands. 

With the help of her grandfather, she asked around for book donations. She was looking for school books, novels…

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TWO STRANGERS IN A PARIS RAILWAY STATION 

We all know the power of music. It can warm you heart, and it can unite people. Even strangers.

No long story today, just this video I came across, about two strangers and a grand  piano in a railway station in Paris. Enjoy!


 

LUCAS PATCHETT AND NIC MARCHESI - ORANGE SKY LAUNDRY 

I like stories about young people doing nice things for others. Like the story of Lucas Patchett and Mic Marchesi (now both 22 years old) from Brisbane, Australia. 

In 2014, both lads were in between studies. Inspired by the song ‘Orange Sky’ by British singer songwriter Alexi Murdoch, they decided to help other people. They point out the lines "In your love, my salvation lies" and "I had a dream I stood beneath an orange sky, with my brother standing by”. The whole song is bout heling your brothers and…

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GARRETT LOWRY 

Kids have the kindest hearts. And 11 year old Garrett Lowry is the perfect example of this. 

Garrett excels in baseball (his team mates call him ‘Bam Bam’ because of his hitting record), but there’s another side to this young athlete. When for a school assignment he had to find a way to give back, he called in on the knitting skills his grandmother taught him, and decided to knit hats for kids going through chemo therapy. 

Initially, his goal was to knit 15 hats, but somewhere along the line Garrett…

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ISEULT WARD AND AOIBHEANN O'BRIEN - FOODCLOUD 

I remember reading a while ago that supermarkets in France were no longer allowed to waste food, but instead had to donate their surplus to charity. I kind of forgot about the story, until I read that a supermarket not too far from Liverpool has been part of a very successful trial to donate food to local charities. I was curious who was responsible for this idea, and this is how I came across the story of Iseult Ward and Aoibheann O’Brien. 

Iseult and Aoibheann do not work for my supermarket, not do they…

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KEN NWADIKE - FREE HUGS PROJECT 

It may be unfair to write a piece about Ken Nwadike and focus mainly on his Free Hugs Project, because he has done so much more than that. But it was the story that caught my attention in the first place...

After seeing the Boston marathon bombing, Ken Nwadike (whose company Superhero Events organises the annual Hollywood Half Marathon to raise money for homeless youth in California, USA) decided to participate in the next race. When he failed to qualify by only a few seconds, he decided to attend in a…

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BOYAN SLAT - THE OCEAN CLEANUP 

BOYAN SLAT – THE OCEAN CLEAN UP PROJECT 

I have been following the story of Boyan Slat for several years now. Here is a story of a teenager with a remarkable intellect and perseverance. 

“The so-called ‘Great Pacific garbage patch’, made up largely of tiny bits of plastic trapped by ocean currents, is estimated to be bigger than Texas and reaching anything up to 5.8m sq miles. It is growing so fast that, like the Great Wall of China, it is beginning to be seen from outer space, according to Jacqueline…

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Mycah's inspiring people