A gift from a young influencer from east London, who earned national recongition for her efforts during the coronavirus pandemic, will help to inspire children from Norfolk.
It comes after Nahla-Rose Bartlett-Vanderpuye, known as @madebynahla on Instagram, launched a competition for fans to nominate a school to receive a 3D printer.
The eight-year-old, of Ilford, has been making PPE with her grandmother’s 3D printer since April after hearing about the shortages across the country.
On June 14, she picked a name at random, and Kaylee Sekgaolelo and her daughters were named the winners.
The married mother-of-two, who is originally from Norfolk but now lives in South Africa, chose a school which her friends’ children attend back in England to recieve the prize.
Mrs Sekgaolelo explained: “My family has been following Nahla-Rose on social media for a long time. She’s an incredible and inspirational little eight-year-old girl and coincidentally her and her sister have the same names as my girls - Nahla and Zuri.
“During lockdown and the covid pandemic, Nahla-Rose used her pocket money and her grandmother’s 3D printer to make PPE/protective face shields for the doctors and nurses in her local NHS hospitals.
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“One of the chosen hospitals was St Bartholomew’s Hospital, in London, and she even featured on BBC Breakfast and BBC London.
“She really is a role model for other children across the country and even here in South Africa, where we are based, she really shows a sense of girl power and is definitely an inspiration to my little girls.”
Mrs Sekgaolelo and her daughters nominated Lingwood Primary Academy, based between Norwich and Great Yarmouth, for the competition because they are originally from the area. Family friends, Ian and Nicole Howes’ two children, Erin and Finton, also attend the school.
Mrs Sekgaolelo added: “Our chosen school has won a 3D printer and as we are based in South Africa, Nicole will be communicating with Stuart Walker, the headteacher, and Charlene, Nahla-Rose’s mother, with any finer details.
“Nahla-Rose has put in hours and hours of work to make the masks on the 3D printer, taking approx one and a quarter hours to make one mask.”
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