Inspiration comes in many forms, but it’s not often an 11-year-old schoolgirl can make adults and children alike re-evaluate the contribution they are making to the world.
Dalyellup’s Bella Burgemeister will be doing just that when she comes to Mandurah on May 21 to speak about her book Bella’s Challenge, which she intended as a child’s response to the United Nations’ Global Goals for Sustainable Development.
Bella said she wrote the book to help other young people understand the challenge of issues such as climate change and domestic violence, but that any profits from sales would be used to install lockers for homeless people in her hometown of Bunbury, giving them a place to store what belongings they have.
“People say there’s no homeless people in Bunbury, but I’ve spent weeks talking to Bunbury’s homeless and I can see their struggle,” she said.
Bella won funding for the book after pitching the idea to 100 adults, receiving a micro-grant of $1300 for printing and distribution.
In April she was named a finalist in the Western Australian Young Achiever Awards.
Bella will be speaking about her efforts to have a positive impact on the world at PeelConnect’s meeting at Make Place on Sunday, May 21 at 2pm.
For more information about the event email peelconnect@gmail.com or call 0420 714 379.
For more on Bella’s Challenge go to bookincubator.com.au/community-projects.html.