7-year old from Southgate raises $5000 to build well in Africa

Southgate, Mich (WJBK) - A little girl from Southgate has learned how families in Africa have to walk nearly 10 miles a day for clean drinking water, so she decided to do something about it. 

“I feel pretty good about it,” Sydney Frump said.

7-year old Sydney Joy Frump of Southgate has done something extraordinary, she raised more than $5,000 to build a well in a remote village in Malawi Africa.

“Because I wanted to help the children,” she said.

It all started a few years ago when her mother Megan went on a mission trip with “Little Dresses for Africa,” a Christian non-profit that works to provide clean water and education while distributing thousands of pillow case dresses to children. 

She told her kids how families were forced to walk up to 10 miles’ round trip each day just to get clean drinking water. Sydney was inspired. 

“One of the things that stuck out to both of my kids was the lack of clean water these kids had in a third world country,” Megan Frump said.

“I really wanted to help them so they didn't have to walk 5 miles and I wanted the well to be in Africa in Malawi and one of the villages, I said well I can raise money we could try to make stuff out of buttons, and my mom said that was a good idea,” Sydney said. 

So Sydney and her mother went to work, making buttons, crafts, and beaded jewelry. They began selling their goods on Facebook and then craft shows and gift galas.

Sydney wanted to reach her $5000 goal by Christmas. With her Go Fund Me page she began to spread the word and ask for donations.

“When I was at 1,000 I said we are still half of a quarter still there, when I was at 4,000 we only needed one more thousand to go and I was super excited,” she said.

And then it happened, not only did Sydney meet her goal she exceeded it.

“We raised $5,450 and we are going to put additional money into building a second well,” Megan said.

Joy to the World is not just Sydney Joy Frump’s favorite Christmas carol anymore, that’s what she named the well in Malawi that will help provide clean drinking water to thousands of families. 

And now this small child with a big heart is motivated to raise money for another and one day when she grows up, hopefully go on her own mission trip to Africa. 

“I really wanted to see the smiles on the kids’ faces because they have big smiles and I just wanted to see them,” Sydney said.

“If other’s hearts weren't moved to help, then there wouldn’t have been another way for us to raise $5000, I mean we’d be selling buttons until the cows came home,” Megan laughed.