Warm-hearted girl gives helping hand
War-torn Aleppo is pretty far removed from most 8-year-olds’ minds but not so for one Upper Hutt schoolgirl.
Pearl Winkworth is not only able to point Syria out on the map - she has been actively raising money for families in the embattled MiddleEastern state.
She began selling reusable hand warmers over winter to help families in Aleppo after learning about the Syrian Civil War at school.
Pearl was struck by the impact the war was having on the people in Syria and decided something needed to be done.
‘‘I wanted to raise money for the people in Aleppo because their houses got bombed and they don’t have much to live with.
‘‘They should have what we have,’’ she said.
The St Brendan’s School student went to her mum, Summer Acton, with an idea to raise funds and they decided hand warmers would be a useful item to sell over winter.
They bought a box of 200 gel hand warmers from a wholesaler, which Pearl sold at her school, sports matches and on social media site Neighbourly.
Her efforts had so far netted $165, which she donated to New Zealandbased charity ReliefAid.
The money she raised had provided six families with ‘‘shelter kits’’ that contained items such as blankets, mattresses, warm clothes, water containers and lamps for up to six people.
ReliefAid spokeswoman Anne Bulley said Pearl’s contributions were greatly appreciated and she was making a real difference.
‘‘We think her efforts are fantastic. She’s only 8. It’s unusual for a girl that age to be thinking about overseas issues and wanting to do something about them.
‘‘Fundraising is hard. Any charity will tell you that and the effort she’s put in is tremendous.’’
Pearl was determined to continue sending money to families in Syria and was already looking for new products to sell or ideas to generate donations.
As the weather began to warm, she thought selling iceblocks could be her next fundraiser.