Two kids in the UK recently raised thousands of pounds for aid to Yemen. Ayaan Moosa and Mikaeel Ishaaq, both six years old, did a lemonade stand which initially raised around £5,000. When their story and their lemonade stand got more attention, people began donating money directly to the boys. One of those people: Angelina Jolie! She sent them a personal note too.
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. 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.”
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.
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”.
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. 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.
Ha, their mom showed them Lara Croft? I’m surprised she didn’t go for Maleficent right off the bat! But maybe young boys respond better to Lara Croft! Jolie’s Lara Croft movies are pretty family-friendly honestly. Daniel Craig is even in the first one! Anyway, what a nice thing for Angelina to do. She’s donating to kids’ lemonade stands to benefit Yemen aid, all while Brad Pitt has a young, thirsty German lover who is Single White Femaling Angelina.
Photos courtesy of Backgrid.
Much respect to Angelina Jolie, carrying on doing what she does best, carry on rising.
” what a nice thing for Angelina to do. She’s donating to kids’ lemonade stands to benefit Yemen aid, all while Brad Pitt has a young, thirsty German lover who is Single White Femaling Angelina.”
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BOOM KAISER YOU CALLED IT
Maybe Nico will pick up the mantle and start doing things for important charit…….
Yeah, I can’t even finish that sentence and keep a straight face.
Angelina searches the media for humanitarian projects to which to donate, whilst WhatsHerLips searches Instagram for fan accounts of herself to like. P.s. Angelina’s Tomb Raider has held up pretty well over time.
I find it so pathetic that she’s following and liking those posts. Also have a sneaking suspicion she’s behind some of the accounts that popped up when this thing blew up.
Why pitt (sorry) women against each other like that? Angelina most probably doesn’t give a hang about Pitt or his new squeeze and the other woman is navigating her own life. And as for Pitt and Angelina, they’re divorcing and both are living their lives as they want to. No one has to prove one is “better” than the other. It’s not a competition.
Those kids are amazing, and give me hope for the future.
Yes, it’s fantastic that AJ reached out to the boys and brought them more publicity and donations for Yemen.
But those boys are amazing! Six years old to be so aware and to take concrete action to help is truly inspiring.
I love so much about this story!
Firstly ‘lemonade for Yemen-aid’?? You got me on board just with that (I’m still chuckling over Poseidon ridin’ for Biden from yesterday).
Angelina puts her money and profile where her mouth is and does good. Keep it up and thank you.
These kids are so young and doing something to help others which we need to encourage and celebrate. Particularly while the UK government is still happily selling weapons to the Saudis to use against the Yemeni people (‘but they didn’t MEAN to hit that hospital so it’s ok’).
If you can, watch the boys BBC interview. Even their innocent minds and hearts can tell that what is happening in Yemen is not right. Great that Angie reached out and made a donation.
Angelina staying classy and doing good work while instahoes spend all time on IG trying to validate egos and need for attention.
Why make it a competition? Live your own truth. Yes, she’s probably a little pathetic but maybe she just really wants to make it. No need to give her that much energy on an Angelina thread. This is about Angelina’s good deed (not the other woman), which is not about competing or being “better” than a so-called “love competition.”
Very nice gesture by Angelina. The kids are adorable. Very worthy cause.
Wonderful gesture and now getting much more media attention.
This is why it’s important that people with a platform use it to benefit others. This act not only highlights the generous (and good) actions of those boys but also of the ongoing crisis in Yemen. Celebrities do not have to come up with solutions of world peace and poverty alleviation, but they can use that fame to bring attention, in a respectful manner, to worthy causes around the world.
One thing I appreciate is that Angelina reached out to one of the boys’s parents to find out about how they put this together etc. She didn’t just send a load of money to a random cause on the internet, she did the research and sent a specific note with a thoughtful donation, and one that happens to be on brand with being all about children and humanitarian causes. Please, don’t think I’m cynical, I’m admiring a master at work!
I’m with you Jay!