Six-year-old girl wins Points of Light award
A YOUNG British Indian girl has won prime minister Boris Johnson’s daily Points of Light award for her campaign to raise awareness of deforestation and climate change.
Six-year-old Aleesha Gadhia is a climate activist and “mini ambassador” for UK-based non-profit Cool Earth for whom she has raised more than £3,000.
Cool Earth works alongside rainforest communities to halt deforestation and lobbies businesses to create more sustainable practices.
In August, Eastern Eye reported that Gadhia wrote letters to world leaders on climate change and urged action.
She has also set up a climate change club at her school, encouraging others to look after the environment and include activities such as litter picking and planting trees. “I feel really excited and happy to have won the award. I am really grateful and honoured to have prime minister Boris Johnson’s award and write a letter to me. I never thought I would receive such an award,” Gadhia said. “Climate change is a really important issue and I hope raising awareness will tackle this problem.”
Gadhia’s parents, Kiran and Pooja Gadhia said: “We are so proud of Aleesha, she has done so much over the past year for someone so young.
“She has inspired us all and we hope she continues on this amazing journey.”
She had also written hundreds of letters and emails to some of the UK’s largest companies and most influential people to encourage them to take climate action.
Earlier this year, Gadhia set up a Just Giving online fundraiser page and raised £3,400 for Cool Earth with her 80-km scooter challenge, which received the backing of the Queen and environmentalist Sir David Attenborough.