A 12-year-old from Clayhall who donates all his birthday money to a Sri Lankan orphanage and raised more than £250 for children's charities through a sponsored walk is this month's Young Citizen nominee.
Saivithyan Thayan, a Year 8 pupil at Ilford County High, was inspired by an online course he took over the summer called Global Social Leaders, which called on young people to go out and make a difference in their community.
The course urged the young leaders to go out and take on various challenges to benefit society.
Saivithyan, his cousin Matanhi Kajan, and a few of their friends did a charity walk from Barkingside Park to Clayhall Park and raised money for TZ Rising, a charity which helps provide young girls with education in Africa, and Children in Need.
He told the Recorder he is particularly keen to fight pollution and to be a champion for the environment.
Saivithyan is a big cricket fan so the two and a half mile walk wasn't so bad for him.
In addition, for the past three years on his birthday Saivithyan has donated whatever money he receives in gifts, as well as anything he's saved up throughout the year, to the Vazvaham children's home in Sri Lanka.
He learned about the orphanage, when his grandad told him about it on a recent family trip there.
He is turning 13 on March 1 and he is already planning to donate any birthday money he receives this year as well.
Saivithyan said doing school lessons at home along with his two younger siblings throughout lockdown has been fun but at the same time he is worried about the impact the pandemic will have on young people.
The Ilford Recorder/Redbridge Rotary Club Young Citizen Award celebrates the great things being achieved by young people of Redbridge, aged 25 and under.
Each month’s nominee will be in the running for the overall Recorder/Redbridge Rotary Club Young Citizen Award.
The overall winner will receive £100 from Redbridge Rotary Club and will, along with the runner-up, go through to the national Young Citizen final run by Rotary International in Great Britain and Ireland.
To nominate, visit www.redbridgerotaryclub.org/contact giving information about the nominee and contact details.
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