Be Like Ayaan: How an 11 Year Old Raised Over £1,000 for Orphans in Gaza
Published by Aghosh UK • 5 min read
Most children spend the school holidays sleeping in, seeing friends and staying up too late. Ayaan spent his setting up a stall.
The eleven year old from Birmingham had an idea that was simple enough to explain in a sentence: sell sweets, books and toys, and give everything he made to orphaned children in Gaza. No committee, no campaign strategy, no fundraising experience. Just a table, a Palestinian flag, a collection tin, and a boy who had decided that something needed doing.
By the time he packed up, Ayaan had raised over £1,000.
What Ayaan actually did
There was nothing complicated about it. He gathered things people would want to buy bags of sweets, books he'd finished with, toys that had been outgrown and set up outside on a sunny afternoon. He talked to people who stopped. He explained where the money was going. And people gave, because a child asking on behalf of other children is very difficult to walk past.
What made it work was not the scale of the idea. It was that he had one, and then actually did it.
Why this matters more than the total
A thousand pounds is a meaningful sum. Through Aghosh UK's Orphan Care programme, it covers almost three years of care for an orphaned child in Pakistan food, shelter, healthcare and schooling. In Gaza, it sponsors more than twenty orphaned children through some of the hardest months of their lives.
But the number is not really the point of Ayaan's story.
The point is that a child looked at a situation thousands of miles away, understood that he was not powerless, and acted. That instinct the belief that you are someone who can do something is not automatic. It is learned. And it is usually learned young.
Ayaan has shown that children don't need to wait until they're adults to help others. With a caring heart, some determination and a good idea, they can make a genuine difference, inspire the people around them, and bring hope to children facing circumstances they will hopefully never have to imagine.
Eight ways your child could fundraise
If your son or daughter has been asking how they can help, here are ideas that have worked for young fundraisers before:
At home, at school, or after Jumu'ah at your local masjid.
Exactly what Ayaan did.
A clear out that raises money twice over.
A set distance, sponsors per mile.
Cards, bookmarks, painted stones, keyrings.
Laps, keepie uppies, a swim, a static bike ride.
Often the best one, because they'll actually see it through.
A group effort raises more and feels less daunting.
Fundraising also does something for the child doing it. It builds confidence. It teaches planning, budgeting and how to talk to strangers. It develops empathy in a way no lesson can. And it gives them the experience early, and for life of discovering that helping other people feels good.
How to set up a fundraiser in about ten minutes
You don't need to organise anything complicated to get started.
- Pick the idea. Let your child choose. Ownership matters more than ambition.
- Set up a fundraising page. Head to fundraise.aghoshuk.org and create a page in a few minutes. You can add a photo, write why you're doing it, and set a target. Donations come straight to Aghosh UK, so there's no cash to count, bank or worry about.
- Choose where the money goes. Orphan Care in Gaza, Orphan Care in Pakistan, Clean Water, or the Gaza Emergency Appeal your child can pick the cause that means the most to them.
- Share it. WhatsApp family groups, the school gate, your masjid, local community groups. Most fundraisers get their first donations from people who already know the fundraiser.
- Tell people what happened. Photos and a total at the end matter they're what makes the next child think I could do that.
"Set a target that feels slightly out of reach. Ayaan's £1,000 didn't arrive by accident; he was aiming at something."
What the money does
Every pound raised through Aghosh UK – Alkhidmat Foundation goes towards children who have lost the people who were supposed to protect them.
| Donation Amount | Direct Impact |
|---|---|
| £30 a month | Sponsors an orphaned child in Pakistan education, healthcare, nutritious meals and safe shelter. |
| £42 | Sponsors an orphan in Gaza. |
| £360 | Covers a full year of care for one child. |
Aghosh UK currently supports more than 35,000 orphaned children across Pakistan and Gaza. Each one of them was, at some point, added to that number by somebody who decided to help a monthly donor, a fundraiser, or an eleven year old with a stall.
A note for parents
If your child is fundraising in public, a few practical things: stay with them throughout, choose a spot you know well, and get permission from the venue or property owner in advance. If you're photographing the day for social media, decide together what they're comfortable with being shared. And keep the target realistic for their age the aim is that they finish the day proud, not exhausted.
Frequently asked questions
How old does my child have to be to fundraise?
There's no minimum age. Younger children simply need an adult to set up and manage the fundraising page on their behalf, and to supervise any activity that takes place in public. The page can still be in your child's name, with their photo and their story it's their fundraiser, you're just holding the admin.
How do I set up a fundraising page?
Go to fundraise.aghoshuk.org and create a page. It takes a few minutes. Add a photo, write a sentence or two about why you're fundraising, choose your cause and set a target. You'll get a link you can share anywhere.
Can we choose which cause the money goes to?
Yes. You can raise for Orphan Care in Gaza, Orphan Care in Pakistan, Clean Water, the Gaza Emergency Appeal, or wherever the need is greatest. Children often connect most strongly with sponsoring another child, because the outcome is easy to picture.
What if people give us cash on the day?
That's common with stalls and bake sales. Keep a simple record of what you take, then pay it in to your fundraising page yourself so the total shows in one place or contact the Aghosh UK team and we'll arrange for it to be paid in. Please don't post cash.
Do we need permission to hold a stall in public?
If you're on your own driveway or in your garden, no. Anywhere else a school, a masjid, a community centre, a shop forecourt, a park ask the person responsible for that space first. Most say yes when they hear what it's for. Street collections on public land usually need a licence from your local council, so a private venue is simpler.
What about Gift Aid?
If a UK taxpayer donates their own money and ticks the Gift Aid box, Aghosh UK can reclaim an extra 25p for every £1 at no cost to them. A £1,000 fundraiser could become £1,250. Gift Aid can't be claimed on money collected from a group and paid in by one person, or on payments for goods so it applies to sponsorship and online donations rather than sweets sold from a stall. More on our Gift Aid page.
How long should a fundraiser run for?
Two to four weeks is the sweet spot for an online page. Long enough for word to spread, short enough to keep a sense of urgency. A one day event like a stall or bake sale works well with a page opened a fortnight beforehand and left up for a week afterwards.
Can a school, madrasah or youth group do this together?
Yes, and group fundraisers often raise far more than individuals. A class, a year group, a scout troop or a Saturday school can all run a single page together. Get in touch and we can talk through the best way to structure it.
What if we don't reach our target?
Nothing happens except that some children get helped. Targets are motivation, not a condition. Every pound raised is passed on, whether you hit the number or not.
Can Aghosh UK support us with materials?
Contact the team and tell us what you're planning. We'll do what we can to help you make the day work.
Will you take the challenge?
It doesn't matter how much you raise. A bake sale that makes £40 and a stall that makes £1,000 come from exactly the same decision: that these children are worth doing something about.
Ayaan has shown that age is never a barrier to making a difference. If he can do it, your young person can too.
Be inspired. Be kind. Be like Ayaan.
Start your fundraiser today →Or, if you'd rather support a child directly: