A five-year-old boy who loves racing BMX bikes is helping put the bite on mosquitos in Africa.
Little Eben Cousin was touched by the plight of children in Africa at risk from malaria.
Eben, of Scissett, has a fascination with bugs and was looking at his books one day when he found a picture of a mosquito.
He thought it looked a very strange-looking bug and asked his daddy Martyn what it was.
Martyn explained to him that it was a mosquito and that where he works in Africa boys and girls can die from mosquito bites.
Eben, a pupil at Scissett First School, said this made him feel very sad and upset.
He cheered up when his father explained it was possible to buy special nets to sleep under that help protect humans from mosquito bites.
Sadly, he added lots of families were too poor to buy the nets.
Eben said: “I really wanted to buy lots of nets for all the boys and girls.
“I had a long think and realised that I didn’t have enough pennies in my money box. Then I had a great idea... I could ride my BMX and people could pay pennies for me to do it and then I could give the pennies to Malaria No More.
“Mummy and daddy said Malaria No More would use the pennies to help the boys and girls and that it would make their lives better and maybe they could enjoy riding a bike just like me.
“I am going to ride the track at my BMX club, Bradford Bandits, in Peel Park. All my friends are going to support me and I hope that my riding helps to make the boys and girls smile and then get big cuddles off their mums and dads.”
Mum Marla said: “When Eben told me what he wanted to do I cried.
“On May 6 Eben is going to ride at least 10 laps of the track which is 400 metres so that will be 4,000 metres in total. I am sure his friends will be riding with him.
“My husband works in the oil industry in Africa and is hoping his company will match what Eben has raised.”
Eben has raised £341 so far and anyone who would like to contribute to Eben’s total should go to the Malaria No More page on Just Giving.
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