Barefoot Kid Amalia’s built a school in Africa as she spreads her message of kindness

Eight-year-old Amalia’s goal in life is to make the world a kinder place and the Aussie youngster, who’s featured in Scott Pape’s new book Barefoot Kids, is already making a difference.

So this is probably going to get me in trouble, but here goes:

To the billions of people living in the developing world … we’re all ‘Karens’.

“Barefoot! How dare you label me a Karen! I DEMAND to speak to your editor!”

(Trust me, he does not care.)

Yet let me introduce you to someone you should speak to: an eight-year-old girl called Amalia.

Amalia lives in Adelaide with her mum and brothers and sisters. She loves fashion, horse riding and doing her pocket money jobs. Yet there’s something amazing about what Amalia has done with the money she put in her Give Bucket:

She built a school.

Seriously. Amalia and her mum, Susan, built a three-storey school that is now home to 120 primary school students. It’s in Kenya, Africa, in a place called Korogocho.

Korogocho is a Swahili word meaning ‘shoulder to shoulder’ … and that’s how people live in Korogocho. There isn’t much electricity, so it gets dark inside. There are no air-conditioners, and lots of people have to share one tap for water.

The kids Amalia’s age play in a creek that’s polluted with rubbish and sewage. “For fun they find old bike tyres and use them as hula hoops”, says Amalia.

Yes, life in Korogocho is tough. Many kids there can’t afford to go to school, and those who do are stuck in classrooms that can have as many as 150 kids!

Amalia with a picture of her school in Kenya. Picture: Supplied

Amalia Knapp, 8, is featured in the Barefoot Kids Epic Money Adventure Book. Picture: Tom Huntley

Amalia and her mum set out to do something for the kids of Korogocho. They are not rich, but they paid for it all themselves from their Give Buckets.

And now that the school is up and running they are paying the wages for six teachers and three helpers. The kids get cooked lunches and the chance to learn dancing and all the important stuff that kids need to learn.

“I’m proud of our school. If we hadn’t built it, none of those kids would have gotten to go to school”, Amalia tells me. “The reason my Give Bucket is so important to me is that my goal in life is ‘to make the world kinder’.”

Amalia is just one of the kids in my new book, Barefoot Kids.

Talking to kids about money can sometimes feel a little icky … kind of consumerist and capitalist.

But let me tell you a secret: the jam jars aren’t really about money at all … they’re about hard work, kindness, and feeling good inside.

When Amalia’s mum asked her, “what do you want to be now?”

She replied, “everything I already am”.

How good is that?

Tread Your Own Path!

Our Son-in-Law is a Nothing Burger

Hi Scott,

Our 48-year-old daughter was $2,000 away from paying off her house when her husband of 23 years told her that he had used the redraw facility attached to their housing loan to withdraw $150,000 to invest in a cryptocurrency scam! He has now left her with $5 in the bank and two young boys to support. It seems our daughter was too trusting way back (23 years ago) when the home loan was set up. Even though it was in both names, the redraw facility required only his signature.

It has been extremely stressful and embarrassing, and like a snowball as unpaid bills have rolled in. As retirees we now find ourselves with a second family to support. All avenues for help have been fruitless so far. Can you give us any advice? Also, please alert other trusting young wives that they must have two signatures on a redraw facility or they may find themselves in this same devastating situation.

Tania

Many people have lost money betting on cryptocurrency. (Photo by Ozan KOSE / AFP)

Hey Tania

It sounds like your son-in-law is an addicted gambler.

The fact that he was caught up in a crypto scam is neither here nor there – it all ends the same way:

The scammer (or betting company) ends up with all the money, the punter is lumped with the losses, and tragically, as is the case with your daughter, there’s often an innocent partner who becomes collateral damage.

So what advice do I have?

She has two choices: work it out, or kick his arse to the curb.

If she chooses to stay with him, I’d suggest she insist he get professional counselling (call Gambler’s Help on 1800 858 858). If she’s not planning on staying with him, I’d get her to speak to a family lawyer and an accountant and set up plans for life as a single parent.

Yet I’ll tell you one thing that’s totally off the table: getting the money back. The horse hasn’t bolted, it’s dead. No amount of flogging your son-in-law will bring it back. At some point they have to put it behind them and move forward financially (together or apart).

Dr Seuss Gives Financial Advice

G’day Scott,

I’ve been seeing so many ads on Facebook from people spruiking ways to pay off your mortgage in 7 to 10 years. Is there some secret I’m not aware of? We are a young family with two boys and are worried about our repayments when our fixed interest rate ends. It’s been a challenge to save the last year with prices going up and some health challenges on my part. One of our cars has just died too, so we are pretty stressed. Should we take action?

Tenille

To reduce your debt focus on getting a lower interest rate and making extra repayments.

Hi Tenille

Last Saturday morning I was with my kids in the Lego store in Melbourne when I got a text from a friend: “Someone is impersonating you on Facebook and running a scam to fleece your readers!”

Alarmed, I immediately called my assistant, and she was like: “Yeah, that happens all the time, it’s like whack-a-mole, Scott.”

Now the ads you’re looking at aren’t a blatant scam, but they may as well be.

Here’s their pitch, which is as old and smelly as my trusty Gray-Nicolls cricket box:

“So you want to get out of debt, right? Well, if you borrow a heap of money (through me) and buy some Gold Coast apartment (also through me, which I get a $50,000 kickback on), then when it (cough, cough) doubles in value, you’ll be able to pay off your home loan in just 7 to 10 years!”

It’s like a freaking Dr Seuss book.

“To get out of debt you’ve got to get into more debt. Debt, Debt, Debt!”

Tenille, focus on the two things that will really move the dial: getting a lower rate, and making extra repayments. Oh, and delete Facebook.

Christmas Comes Early

Hi Scott,

I was planning on giving your new Barefoot Kids book to my eight-year-old daughter for Christmas. Unfortunately, she found it while I was at work. When I got home that night I was amazed that she had already read half the book, letter-bombed the neighbourhood with her new ‘cat sitting’ business, set up her jars with your stickers, and started setting up her jobs board. Then she hit me with her pocket money pitch. My Chrissy surprise is blown, but it’s so good she is fully engaged!

Barefoot Kids: Your Epic Money Adventure! (HarperCollins Publishers) RRP $32.99

Chris

Hey Chris

How proud should you be of your daughter? The way most parents teach their kids about money is trial and error … a lot of boring lectures … and a lot of nagging, in the hope that some of it sticks. Yet your daughter is building her own money ‘muscle memories’, and creating her own experiences … some of which will stay with her for the rest of her life.

DISCLAIMER: Information and opinions provided in this column are general in nature and have been prepared for educational purposes only. Always seek personal financial advice tailored to your specific needs before making financial and investment decisions.

Ends.

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Originally published as Barefoot Kid Amalia’s built a school in Africa as she spreads her message of kindness