By Molly Magennis
Yarraville West Primary School student George Wakefield has shown what a big difference a small deed can make when he decided to shave his head to raise funds for children in Ukraine.
George has Ukrainian heritage, and because of this has been talking to his grandmother, or Baba, Sofia Mazur a lot about what has been happening overseas the past few months.
During the term one school holidays, on his own accord, the grade 4 student decided to shave off his hair and set up a UNICEF fund, which has so fair raised over $1,600 for children in war-torn Ukraine
Described by his school principal as an “agent of change for good”, the decision to shave off his hair to raise money came easy to George.
“I was thinking about people in Ukraine, and last year I also shaved my head for the World’s Greatest Shave, and I raised some money then, so I thought it’d be a good idea to do it for Ukraine,” he said.
While the situation in Ukraine can be confusing at best, even for adults, the nine-year-old is fairly clued in as to what’s happening.
“I think I understand it, Ukraine is under attack by Russia,” he said.
“Ukraine hasn’t attacked them and they don’t seem like mean people so Russia should stop what they’re doing.”
George described his Baba as his best friend, someone who makes him delicious food, with Varenyky being a particular favourite.
When Ms Mazur found out what her grandson was doing to raise funds for Ukraine, she said she couldn’t help but start crying.
“I thought, how wonderful that a nine year old thought of something on his own, to do such a wonderful thing. I was so proud of what he did because it was something he decided to do, nobody forced him,” she said.
Heavily involved in the Ukrainian community in Brimbank, watching what has been happening to her people from so far away has been nothing short of heartbreaking for Ms Mazur.
“There was no provocation, nothing like that, you know, this maniac decided to start a war with innocent people because of an ideology I guess,” she said.
“We don’t want to fight, we just want to live in our own country in peace.”
