Angelina Jolie surprises ‘Lemonade for Yemen-Aid’ Seven Kings boys with donation and personalised letter
Angelina Jolie surprised two boys in Seven Kings with a large donation to their fundraiser to help starving children in Yemen. Picture: PA/ Yui Mok and Adeela Moosa - Credit: Archant
The two boys in Seven Kings whose “Lemonade for Yemen-Aid” fundraiser went viral have a new fan in Angelina Jolie who sent them a personalised letter and a large donation.
The superstar sent the boys this personal note along with a large donation. Picture: Adeela Moosa - Credit: Archant
Best mates Ayaan Moosa and Mikaeel Ishaaq, who were nominated for the Recorder and Redbridge Rotary Club’s Young Citizens Award after initially raising £5,000 for the Yemen Crisis Appeal from a simple lemonade stand, were surprised to get a letter from the American superstar and humanitarian.
In the letter Ms Jolie thanked them for helping children in Yemen and said: “I’m sorry I’m not able to buy a lemonade from you, but I’d still like to make a donation to your stand.”
Ayaan (right) said he hopes their story going viral will help raise "trillions and trillions of dollars" to help children in Yemen. Picture: Adeela Moosa - Credit: Archant
After the boys were first featured in the Recorder they were interviewed on various TV and radio stations, including the BBC which is where Ms Jolie saw the story.
Her office reached out to Ayaan’s mother Adeela Moosa about the project and asked how the boys started it and a few days ago a note and the donation arrived.
Ayaan (right) said he hopes their story going viral will help raise "trillions and trillions of dollars" to help children in Yemen. Picture: Adeela Moosa - Credit: Archant
Adeela said: “When we first told them about it we got blank faces back because they had no idea who she was. So we had to watch Tomb Raider for them to get how famous she is.”
When the Recorder last spoke to Ayaan he said he hoped the story being featured across the world would raise even more money for the plight of starving children so “by the end of this we’ll have like trillions and trillions of dollars to help Yemen”.
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After Ms Jolie’s donation Ayaan might get his wish as they have raised more than £52,000 collectively through the Yemen Crisis Appeal, with about £15,000 of it coming from the lemonade stand and the subsequent publicity.
The boys held the lemonade stand on July 5 outside their home in Ilford and thought they’d raise about £100 and told all their classmates to come.
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On the day they raised close to £5,000 and thousands more as the story went viral.
Mikaeel said: “If we don’t help the children in Yemen they might get sick and die.”
Adeela said they are planning on screening the movie Maleficent for the boys next.
To contribute to the boys news fundraiser visit https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/lemonaid-boys
