STIRLING Primary School’s Olivia Smallie ran an arts and crafts stall at the annual Stirling Primary School Games Day last month and donated all the proceeds to two charities close to her heart; King’s Children’s Home and African Angels.
Smallie’s main idea was to sell DIY Craft Kits. She also added on a complimentary activity whereby customers could paint their own ceramic at her stall.
The Stirling Games Day offers anyone the chance to have a stall as part of the flea market, which usually involves adults selling their goods.
“The Grade 2 pupils do hold a little market day at the end of the year in their classrooms and are taught basic skills like marketing, budgeting etc, but they have not begun to cover that topic yet in class,” Stirling Primary School teacher, Liesel Kruger, said.
“Olivia told her mom that she wanted to have a stall and her mom agreed as long as it was with something that Livi [Olivia] could mostly do herself.”
Smallie was excited to run her own business, but realised that she didn’t need the money generated and decided she would donate it all to charity.
At seven years old, this young entrepreneur managed to raise R1500 for each of the charities.
With the help of sponsors, Smallie also managed to donate baby powder, nappies and wipes to the two charities.
The King’s Children’s Home, run by Tracy and Johnathan King, is a safe house for abandoned or abused babies and young children.
African Angels is an Independent school for children from disadvantaged backgrounds, many of them orphaned.
The school has six grades (Grade R to Grade five) and aims to give children the necessary experiences and education for them to reach their full potential.
Upon receiving the donations for the home, Tracy King shared a special message with Smallie, a message she tries to instil in her own children, and that is to “live simply, so others can simply live”.
Smallie was overjoyed when visiting the home and the school to drop off the donations and embraced this message wholeheartedly.
“I love art so I wanted to give African Angels some money to use for their art department. I also love babies so that’s why I chose King’s Children’s Home,” Smallie said.
The charities are both non-profit organisations who are always in need of support.
“The work they do for the community is amazing.
“We always try to practise goodwill towards others and we’re really proud of Livi for initiating it herself now,” mom Kim Smallie said.
