Desi News Corp - Index

Desi News Corp - Desi News - June 2009 - Index

When Caroline D’
Souza received the
2008 Ontario Junior
Citizen of the Year Award from
David C. Onley, lieutenant
governor of Ontario, at Queen’s
Park, her family was there to
celebrate her achievement.
“My mom Lovina, my dad
Kevin, my sister Michelle and
my baby brother, Daniel, they
were all there!” says Caroline
with a happy little laugh. Asked
to describe her own reaction to
being chosen for the award, she
responds with a shy smile. “I
was very excited. It was pretty
cool meeting all those people.”
The awards are given each
year to individuals who contribute
their time and efforts to
making a difference in their
communities.
Time is a precious commodity
in the life of the 12-yearold
whose days are packed with
homework, Air Cadets, piano
lessons, church activities, writing
short stories and more.
Up at 7:30 each morning,
she’s on the go until around 11
pm each night. “After I wake up,
it’s not bad – but getting out of
bed is hard!” she confesses.
The Grade 7 student at St.
Dominic Savio Catholic School
also helps out with the special
needs students at her school and
is taking Spanish lessons because
she feels an added language is
an asset. She plays soccer in the
summer, is on her school’s
soccer and volleyball teams and
was trying out for the skipping
team for the Heart and Stroke
Foundation. On weekends, she
spends a few hours at a seniors’
home, reading and singing to
residents.
As though all of this was not
enough of a scheduling challenge,
Caroline started a charity, We
Care 4 Children, after helping
raise funds for the We Care Fund.
“I write stories and my dad
suggested I sell them to raise money
for a good cause. I thought I’d
like to do something for poor
children in India,” says Caroline.
14 Desi News June 2009
NARI MAVALWALLA /DESI NEWS
room WITH A POINT OF VIEW
“I also collect donations from
neighbours and teachers. My
uncle in Bangalore is helping me
with what needs to be done in
India.”
She has raised $500 so far
and hopes to help children
with educational supplies and
other needs.
“I saw Slumdog Millionaire
and it was funny. But in India
NARI MAVALWALLA /DESI NEWS
NARI MAVALWALLA /DESI NEWS
Li’l girl dreams big
Caroline D’Souza, 12, bags a big award
I also saw children like the poor
children in Slumdog. I want to
help children like those.”
Much of her planning is done
in the ‘tent fortress’ that she
builds in the room she shares
with sister Michelle.
“It’s a bright room with two
windows – a normal-seized
room, I guess! I like to make tents
with upturned chairs and
sheets!” she says.
“Caroline’s ‘fortress’ is very
well equipped!” says her mother
Lovina, fondly. “Inside, she
keeps her books and her notebooks
for jotting down story
ideas. She has a lamp for reading
and when I tell her to turn out
the lights as it’s time for bed,
often, she will read by the little
flashlight that one can attach to
books.”
On the lavender-coloured
walls are lots of pictures and
posters of movie stars. Zack
Ephron and Rihanna are Caroline’s
favourites. She loves
reading and her favourite books
– Series of Unfortunate Events –
are also to be found in her part
of the room.
Her closet, like her room,
she admits candidly, is “not very
messy, not very neat”.
Another giggle, another
confession: “My mom has to tell
me to fix my room sometimes!”
Though her friends at school
were at first unaware of the
significance of the award, when
her fellow Air Cadets heard the
news, they were suitably impressed.
A few of them were encouraged
to try for the award themselves,
by upping their contribution
to their communities.
Her family, says Caroline,
was very proud of her.
“My mom e-mailed everybody!
“Dad was in India when we
heard I was to receive the award
and he said, ‘Good job!’ He also
told everyone in India!”
Caroline wants to be a
teacher or a journalist when she
grows up.
She has already given her
parents the best gift a child can,
a reason to be proud of her
achievements, but for Father’s
Day, Caroline plans to make a
special card for her dad.
• For info on the we Care Fund
and Caroline’s charity, visit
wecaretrust.org/donations_
memorialfunds.htm# memorial27