Boe, five, raises cash to help African children

Little Boe Wilcox couldn't get the image of desperately poor children in Ethiopia out of her mind after she saw scenes featured on a Michael Jackson film.

The five-year-old's immediate response was to ask her mum, Amanda, if she could send some of her toys or money to Africa to help the children she had seen.

Mrs Wilcox came up with the idea of a fundraising coffee morning at their home in Green Lane, Beetley, and thought her daughter would forget all about it.

But caring Boe had other ideas and repeatedly reminded her mum that they needed to get working on the coffee morning if they were going to help those children whose image had become so fixed in her mind.

So the original idea of serving cakes and coffee in the lounge of their bungalow home gradually developed into a much bigger event which was staged instead in the village hall.

Family and friends rallied round, with Amanda's mum, Wendy Secker, making and selling craft items and her mother-in-law, Kathy Wilcox, helping out as well.

As well as coffee and home-made cakes, there was a craft stall, tombola and raffle, and while Mrs Wilcox said she would have been happy if Boe had raised �100, in the end a figure of �475 was made, with more cash still being added through donations.

"The event really took off and Boe helped on the day and it became a real community event. People are asking if it can be an annual event. We went on to the internet and chose the World Vision charity and the money Boe raised will be used to build a toilet block at a rural school that is being renovated," said Mrs Wilcox.

Boe said she was really pleased that the event had raised so much money and she hopes to be able to get a picture of the new toilet block when it is finished.

"I am really proud of the way that Boe was inspired to help disadvantaged children in Ethiopia and how she followed through her idea to completion. Boe has always been quite a caring child from when she was little," said Mrs Wilcox.