Small boy, big heart
Buckinghamshire boy donates his pocket money for mission
Photo: Harry with his dad, David, and sister, Isla at the CMS office
This autumn, CMS staff were delighted to receive a visit from one of our youngest supporters.
In September, the CMS fundraising team opened a heart warming letter from Harry, aged five, explaining that he was donating £45 to mission partner Nicci Maxwell in South Sudan.
He wrote: “Each week, my mummy and daddy give me some money and I decide how much I’d like to save, how much I’d like to spend and how much I’d like to give to charity.… I’d like to send my money to you so you can help the people you’ve met.”
In his letter Harry mentioned that he’d especially like to be able to hand over his gift in person. When he arrived at the CMS office in Oxford, with his parents and sister Isla, CMS staff learned more of the story behind Harry’s special gift.
Harry and Isla choose each week how to split their pocket money between pots for spending money, savings and charity.
As summer approached, the family looked into where they could donate the money that was building up in the charity pots.
They wrote to their church to ask if the church could suggest any possible charities that the children might like to give the money to – and the church gave them information about different causes that they supported.
Harry and Isla’s church supports Nicci Maxwell, a CMS mission partner who provides medical care to babies and children in a hospital and refugee camp in Juba, South Sudan, as well as training and supporting local paediatric teams.
Harry was inspired by the idea of helping children who are sick and don’t have access to medicines and care like children in the UK. He decided to give the money to Nicci’s work.
Nicci commented, “I confess to being moved to tears when I read Harry’s lovely letter that his dad emailed to me. I was amazed that a five year old boy wanted to send his saved pocket money to help children in South Sudan. Harry’s generosity will bless so many struggling families in Juba.”
While at the office, Harry got to meet Victoria Summers, personnel lead for Africa, who supports Nicci and other mission partners all over Africa, and the finance team, who are making sure the money gets to the right place.
Harry and his family also had a look at some items from the CMS archive, including old collection boxes and a teapot dating back to the very beginning of CMS in 1799.
Harry still buys toys and sweets with his spending money, and is learning all about saving up for the future – but he is also making a difference for children living thousands of miles away.
Thank you Harry!
