week in New York City.Matti will receive the award Wednesday, Sept. 25, at the UNICEF Launch of the Global Interfaith Alliance at the United Nations in New York City. This award honors her for raising more than $5,000 this summer to build a freshwater well in Africa.
“This is a really big honor,” said Matti. “I’m so excited to accept the award, but I’d like everyone to remember that I didn’t do it alone. I had the help of many friends and family and the entire community. Just remember, even kids can make a difference, and it took a lot of kids working together to make Walk4Water happen.”
YeyeOsun: Institute of Sacred Balance issues the award, “highlighting the footsteps of others who are trying to make change and co-create a better planet,” according to its website. Only one child worldwide receives this award each year.
Matti began fundraising for the well after she read the children’s book “I Walk for Water” by Lindsey Andrews, which tells the story of a boy in Africa who walks long distances to get water for his family.
After reading the book, Matti began raising money immediately by talking to people locally and asking for their help. The first day, she raised $15 at her Taekwondo class. As she began fundraising, her story motivated others to act. Hattie Adkins, a kindergartner at Bessie Ellison Elementary School, was really inspired by their work and began diligently raising funds on her own.
After raising $200 in the first month, Matti knew she wanted to do more. She spoke to Rebecca Whitsell, Wellspring Community Church’s youth director, who helped her get started organizing a 6K run to raise money and awareness for the well.
Walk4Water, took place at Missouri Western State University in July. The 6K length of the walk, approximately 3.7 miles, reflected the length that an African family walks each day to bring home water.
To raise money for the event, called “Walk 4 Water,” Matti spoke to people and businesses throughout the St. Joseph area. With the help of Matti’s friend, Sam Willoughby, a fourth grader at Pershing Elementary School, and her sister Tori Flowers, a sixth grader at Coleman, she raised $2,000 in corporate sponsorships before the event and brought in about 100 participants. In total, the event raised over $5,000, enough to build the well.
Matti is only getting started. She has raised $5,600 so far, but plans to continue the event next summer and keep raising money for wells in Africa.
YeyeOsun heard about Matti’s story because she received the Kids are Heroes award this summer for her fundraising. They found her story on the Kids are Heroes website, thought it was a perfect fit for the award, and wanted to tell her story.