An inspirational seven-year-old Co. Cork girl has touched the hearts of staff working for humanitarian aid agency, GOAL, by saving her pocket money for six months to help make a difference to the lives of some of the world’s poorest children.
Rosie Thompson pictured with her money box
Rosie Thompson, from Ballycroneen in East Cork, was moved to donate to GOAL after watching a programme about the charity’s work on RTE TV last year.
The first-class pupil from Ballycroneen National School saved €50 in coins in a specially converted shoe box.
Having set out initially to make a jewellery box out of a shoebox, Rosie instead created a unique “piggy bank” decorated with multi-coloured tape with the word “GOLE” inscribed in big bold lettering, and a funnel to drop in the money.
This ingenious design ensured that this colourful savings box could not be prised open unnoticed, guaranteeing the money intended for the children GOAL supports was safe!
Her adorable money box
According to Rosie's mum, Shermin, the young humanitarian announced she wanted ''to help children where there is war'' after seeing a TV programme about GOAL's work.
Rosie managed to avoid the temptation of ice-cream and treats, and kept her savings under wraps even during the tempting Christmas period knowing the end result would be more satisfying than getting the latest toy.
GOAL CEO, Siobhan Walsh, said she was extremely moved by Rosie's thoughtfulness and extraordinary humanity.
I was truly humbled when I received the wonderful letter from Rosie’s mother with the €50 explaining what she had done. Youth are our Teachers. They are inspirational and we need to empower them in every way to help change our world. I called Rose’s mother after I received her letter
"Rosie is an inspiration, a shining light and we need more of these beautiful bright lights to make our world a better place for all. The important lesson here is that every action we take has a reaction and it changes our world. That's important to remember."
