Cameron Northern has been a
champion for Nyaka since she was 7 years old. She was introduced to Nyaka
when T. Jackson Kaguri came to speak at her church. After he told her about the
children he was helping in Uganda, her heart was changed and she
wanted to do something. Cameron asked her mother if she could give her piggy bank
to Nyaka. She donated everything she had to the children. But even that didn't
feel like enough.
Cameron hand wrote letters to
all of her friends and family asking them to send her their
change. The response was tremendous and she raised $848.48 for Nyaka!
Cameron and her family were excited for the success of their campaign but she felt in her heart that God wanted her to continue helping Nyaka. Since that year Cameron, with the help of her parents, Seth and Ali, and her little brother, Brett, has planned a fundraiser to support Nyaka every year. Cameron's father, Seth, told us that she has no problem asking people for money because she loves this organization so much and has such a passion to help. The real challenge is coming up with something new every year. And she's done a fantastic job! From a school supply drive and collected 250 pounds of school supplies to selling flower pins they made in their kitchen (raising $750!), she's worked hard to do whatever she can to help your children and grandmothers.
Cameron told us "I always
want to do something different than I did the year before. I
like to be creative and I think that creativity helps when you fundraise. I’m
just really excited to do this." Apparently her excitement is
contagious because this year Cameron raised her biggest total yet! She entered
an indoor triathlon that included swimming ¼ mile, biking 10 miles, and running
a 5K. Cameron hand wrote letters to her friends and family asking for their
support. On the day of the event everyone came to cheer her on. She did the
whole thing in 1.5 hours! AND she raised $2,603 for your students!
Cameron's mother said, "This is
all Cameron’s heart and soul. Seth and I are just behind her to support
her."
Cameron has been sharing her story and passion for Nyaka for 6 years now. This is part of her story and the lessons she's learned her own words:
I am completely committed to
helping these children. I have realized how fortunate I am and how much I have
that these children do not. I realized that the pink bike I wanted was
DEFINITELY not as important as a little kid on the other side of the world
going to school and having food. I have
also learned so much through the process of raising money for Nyaka.
First, if you are passionate about something,
tell others about it! Live and breathe
it! Figure out a plan to help the
organization you are passionate about and just do it!
Second, don’t be afraid to ask others to
support you. People have been so
generous in supporting me and even telling me that they were so glad that I
asked them! I was amazed how my letters
touched peoples’ hearts, and it was humbling to have them tell me that they
were proud of me.
Third, I learned that
being creative helps your fundraising effort.
Every year I try to switch things up a bit and do something different
which people seem to like and I can reach a broader range of people.
Lastly, I have also learned to have
confidence in myself. I’m not
embarrassed or afraid to ask people to help Last year at church camp I even to
stood up in front of a group of youth, told my story and encouraged them to
support and fundraise for organizations that mean something to them. Nyaka has named me one of their “Young Heroes
and Child Ambassadors”. I’m working
with them and my parents to come up with new ways to teach and encourage
children to give.
Most importantly, all
of this fundraising has taught me that even a young child like me can make a
difference in the lives of people half-way around the world! All you have to do is ask and put in the
hard work!
We hope that Cameron inspires you as much as she has us!
Cameron is currently in the planning stages for her most ambitious endeavor yet. We won't spoil the surprise but we're really excited to see what this amazing girl does next!
Want to meet Cameron and her family in person?
Join us for our One by One event in
Bloomington, Indiana on November 1st!
Email us at info@nyakaschool.org to find out more!
