Chatterbox undertakes vow of silence for East Africa

Seven year old Matilda Helm wanted to help kids "just like her"

Seven year old Matilda Helm from Southbridge Primary School in Canterbury saw World Vision's East Africa Appeal on television last month and decided she wanted to help.

"I saw kids just like me eating yuck food and dying and thought it was really unfair" explains the self-confessed chatterbox.

So Matilda decided to undertake a sponsored vow of silence on the 2nd of November in order raise much needed funds for those suffering the effects of the first famine of the 21st century.

She was given permission to stay quiet in class by her school principal after explaining in a letter that she was "... sending money to World Vision for East Africa because people there are dying right now".

Matilda managed to get through the school day without breaking her vow by taping her mouth shut and writing questions and answers on a piece of paper.

She says it was no easy task to stay quiet. "I have lots of friends and they all tried to make me talk!"

In total, Matilda managed to raise an incredible $400 for kids "just like her".
She was delighted to hear that amount would roughly feed a family of six for four months.

World Vision school relationship coordinator Chris Davis presented Matilda with an award and thank you gift at a special school assembly last week.

How can you get involved?

• Further donations are needed to help fund World Vision's continuing work in East Africa. Please make a contribution to our Appeal.
• Alternately, you can follow Matilda's lead and come up with a creative way to fundraise too!

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