Updated: Local Girl Raises Money For African Orphange

Today's THV first introduced you to you Emily more than a year ago, when she was raising money to feed a single slum in Kenya. At the time, she had a daunting task ahead of her; she needed eight-thousand dollars to feed the community for a week. Emily has since accomplished that goal and is going for more.

She is a fifth grader at Conway's Simon Intermediate School, but she's no average fifth grader, Emily is on a mission to change lives in Kenya; and one dollar at a time, she's doing it.

Emily says, "There's people out there that aren't living like us. They're suffering more than us."

Emily set out on this journey after her heart broke hearing missionaries speak at her church.
The eleven-year-old raised enough money last year to feed the Kipsongo community, now she's got her sights set on housing hundreds of orphans in that same area.

Her mom Kelly couldn't be prouder.

Kelly says, "She's really good at pacing herself she knows what she can handle and what she can't. Sometimes as parents we have to step in. ok let's take a little break so we don't become overwhelmed."

Emily reached a milestone last week; she raised enough money to purchase five acres in Kenya. The missionaries there signed the papers and used 18-thousand dollars sent from Emily. She recalls their phone call last Monday.

Emily says, "It was 5:30 in the morning, so I was smiling but I wasn't jumping up and down because I was so tired but I was super excited inside."

The fifth grader is accomplishing all this by just selling lemonade, one cup at a time. She's been all over Conway with her little business; sometimes with little brother in tow. Emily sells wherever she's invited.

Emily says, "I've been at a car dealership. I've been to a lot of other places. It's hard to count."

Now that she has the land she'll continue selling lemonade until the orphanage is built. She is certainly no average fifth grader

Until Emily has the money to build she will have crops planted on her five acres and have chickens brought in for a poultry farm. Her goal is to teach the Kenyan children how to sustain themselves by selling the crops and eggs.

If you'd like Emily's lemonade stand to visit your business, church, or school click on the link to the right for her website.