A fearless Perth seven-year-old will become one of the country’s youngest ever charity workers when she flies out to Africa in October to help orphaned street children.
St John’s Primary School pupil Kayleigh MacDonald was desperate to accompany her mum Denise (41) on a five-week volunteering trip to Ghana after seeing shocking images of the conditions some youngsters face each day.
The pair from North Muirton are now fund-raising to buy clothes, books, paper and a range of arts and crafts materials to take to the day centre in the country’s Kwahu region.
Kayleigh will have to miss a few weeks of school but will write a daily diary and take photographs to show classmates on her return.
Denise told The Courier it would be an experience they would both never forget.
In an age of “cotton wool kids,” she believes it will let her daughter see just how lucky she is.
“Kayleigh is desperate to raise enough cash to buy colouring pencils for the children.
“She loves maths and is keen to show them some basic sums and she also wants to teach them some Scottish songs.”
Denise, who works at the Day Care Centre for Dementia on Rannoch Road, continued, “I’d wanted to volunteer for a number of years but my friend became ill and had to pull out.
“I hadn’t thought about taking Kayleigh but when she asked me one day I looked into it and found a company called Volunteer Originals.
“She’s always been a very caring child and when she saw awful pictures of the suffering some African children face she was keen to help.Experience”It will be very different to life here in Perth but I think it will be the sort of experience that shapes her for life.”
Denise had been concerned about Kayleigh missing school, but said both her headteacher and and class teacher had been really understanding.
“We are setting off during the October break so she will only actually miss three weeks.
“Her class are going to be doing a short project on her trip. She also is going to write a journal and take lots of photographs to show them.”
Kayleigh will celebrate her eighth birthday while out in Ghana and is hoping to bake a big cake to share with her new friends.
The seven-year-old added, “I can’t wait to go, it’s going to be different to anywhere my friends have been. I’m looking forward to meeting the children and playing lots of games with them.”
Denise and her husband Peter saved up to pay for the flights and accommodation herself and a number of businesses have also come to their aid.
Perthshire Chauffeur Drive are providing a free pick-up service to and from the airport and JRF on Scott Street are doing Denise and Kayleigh’s passport photos for free.
Denise is also taking part in next month’s Perth 10K to raise cash for the trip.
Any donations should be handed in to Santander on High Street, Perth.