Lemonade for Yemen-Aid
1688. Ayaan Moosa
1689. Mikaeel Ishaaq
Ayaan Moosa and Mikaeel Ishaaq, aged 7, from London, are two best friends who have raised over £100,000 through their homemade lemonade stand called ‘Lemonade for Yemen-Aid’.
The boys set up their stand in July 2020 as a way of helping to raise money via the charity ‘One Nation’ to support Yemeni children affected by the ongoing humanitarian crisis in the country. Their campaign quickly became viral, with film star and philanthropist Angelina Jolie surprising the boys with a donation. The money they have raised has contributed to provisions such as clean water, sanitary products and food grains, which have been delivered directly to Yemeni children.
In a personal letter to Ayaan, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said:
“Well done on your fantastic fundraising initiative ‘Lemonade for Yemen-Aid’. What a brilliant idea and a brilliant name!
“You have raised an astonishing sum of money – over £100,000 with your homemade lemonade stand. During the holiday of Eid al-Adha, I can think of no one more deserving of this recognition than yourself and Mikaeel for helping children like yourselves who live in a place where life is really tough.”
In a personal letter to Mikaeel, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said:
“Congratulations on the staggering success of your lemonade stand ‘Lemonade for Yemen-Aid’! With over £100,000 raised to date, you are helping the most vulnerable children in Yemen with essentials such as clean water and food.
“As we mark Eid al-Adha, let me thank you for your wonderful spirit of generosity, giving your time and efforts to help children less fortunate than you.”
Ayaan and Mikaeel said:
“We are very happy and excited and we hope that by winning this award it will raise more awareness and money for children just like us, who need our help – like the children in Yemen. It’s not fair that children suffer and we want to do whatever we can to help. We hope to meet the Prime Minister one day in person so we can tell him all about the work we have been doing.”