Shropshire Star

Oswestry girl collects buttons for Africa

Published

When little Ariana Botham heard about a project that was using buttons to provide work for women in Africa, she was so impressed she decided she wanted to get involved.

The 11-year-old from Oswestry researched the Buttons for Africa project when one of its creators, Jessie Miller, from nearby Nantmawr received a British Empire Medal in the New Year's Honours List.

The project has given women in Ghana the chance to earn a living making heart-shaped ornaments that are then sold in the UK.

The scheme is already lifting women out of poverty and funding the building of a craft workshop.

Ariana, who goes to Our Lady & St Oswald's Catholic Primary School in Oswestry, wanted to collect buttons to send off the to the project and her initial collection snowballed.

This week she called into Regent's Court in Oswestry to pick up buckets full of buttons from residents at the supported living development.

Ariana's grandmother Sue Madden works at Regents Court and when she told residents of Ariana's collection they all agreed to help.

The youngster's appeal has delighted both her grandparents.

Marilyn Botham said: "This was all her own idea. She was so interested in the story of the woman who was honoured for her work she looked at what she had done.

"The Buttons for Africa project really caught her imagination and she wanted to do what she could to help."

"People have been very kind, hunting out their old buttons to send to Ghana."

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