Italian girl hailed for pocket money quake donation
- Published
Laura told the mayor she had enclosed "a little help"
A 10-year-old girl has donated her pocket money to Italy's earthquake recovery efforts, prompting an outpouring of praise and gratitude online.
The youngster, called Laura, sent a five-euro note to the mayor of Norcia along with a letter that the council shared on . "Every evening I see your city on the television and it makes me so sad," she wrote, adding that her parents had shown her photos they had taken on a trip to Norcia some years ago. "I am sending you a little help and I pray that many other people do the same," the letter reads.
Norcia was badly damaged in the 30 October quake, which destroyed the medieval basilica of St Benedict and many other buildings in surrounding areas.
Laura lives in a village near Genoa in north-west Italy, and her small act has resonated with Italians online. The council's Facebook post has been shared more than 3,000 times and many who responded said they were deeply moved by the girl's gesture.
"The world would be better if we could learn from this!" , while another describes Laura as "a wonderful example of solidarity for all of us". There's plenty of praise for her mum and dad, too. "Well done to her parents, who are raising a strong person with a sensitive heart," one woman says. The most-liked comment says the five euros are "worth five million - it made me cry".
Luca Barberini, a regional councillor for social cohesion and welfare, "gives great strength and hope" to the communities affected, and extended an invitation to Laura and her family to visit "as soon as everything is rebuilt".
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