Australian wildfires have been burning for months now and they have so far claimed at least 26 people, burned more than 15 million acres and killed an estimated 30% of the local koala bear population. Many people have come together from different parts of the world as volunteer firefighters to help put them out, but they’re still burning until this moment.
At the same time, influencers around the world have been raising money in order to help locals rebuild their homes and their lives once the fires are over, but also to help the animals that have been affected by the wildfires. It has been estimated that so far more than a billion animals have been killed in this year’s bushfires, causing “collective grief” among wildlife carers.
And, while as we said influencers are urging people to donate in order to help people and animals affected by the wildfires, a 6-year-old boy from Hingham, Massachusetts, has found a unique way to help. It all started when he saw Australia was burning on the news, and he asked his mom whether animals and people had been killed. When her answer was positive, he went to his bedroom and, sometime later, he came back with a drawing of a koala, a kangaroo and a dingo in the rain. According to his mom, it was his way to show that he wished for rain so that animals could be relieved.
Young Owen Colley and his parents, Simon and Caitlin, had to somehow help Aussies, and after giving it some thought, they knew. Owen started making clay koala bears, which he is now sending to anyone who makes a donation of $50 or higher for the bushfires. Little Owen works the clay by himself, and then with the help of his mother, they bake it in the oven and the koalas are ready to be sent out to the donors.
“We asked him if he wanted to help and … together we came up with this. We could make some clay koalas and give them in response to donations from friends and family,” Caitlin Colley said.
Their initial goal was to raise $5,000, but their expectations were exceeded and they have so far raised almost $174,000!
But, you might be wondering, how come Owen cares so much about Australia? Well, there is a special bond between the little boy and the “land down under”. Owen’s dad, Simon Colley is from Sydney, and little Owen lived there for some time when he was a toddler, so it is only normal that he feels connected to the country.
This little boy’s act is proof that everyone can help in situations like this; it doesn’t matter if you’re young or old, doesn’t matter where you live or what your income is. Everyone can make a difference if they really want to. Such examples show that the new generation is more compassionate than ours, today’s children are more caring and empathetic. Let’s just hope they grow up to be the humans that their young selves aspire to be.
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