How an eight-year-old Discovery College student is helping suffering Syrians
The Ant & the Hud Hud is a book that's making a difference.Discovery College’s Humza Bazarwala has sold 243 copies of his first children’s book The Ant & the Hud Hud since its first publication on April 28, with every cent of the $100 book being donated to volunteer organisation The White Helmets to help injured civilians in Syria.
Eight-year-old Humza tells the story a bird and an ant saving each other’s life. He suggested to his father to donate all the book’s revenues to the suffering Syrians. “If a bird can make a difference so can an ant, and so can we,” he says.
“I want to help The White Helmets so they can help the people who are hurt. My dad told me that they are very brave because they go to dangerous areas from city-to-city to help people. I hope I can help in a small way too”, Humza told Young Post.
“My mum and grandmother always tell me how lucky I am to be living here in Hong Kong. Unfortunately, some people around the world are not as lucky. People in Syria are dying,” he added.
But the story would not have been published if Humza’s parents hadn’t discovered it from his handwriting homework a few weeks before he turned eight.
“My dad asked me to rewrite the story because he could not read my handwriting, and when he was able to read my writing, he spotted a lot of spelling and grammar mistakes so he made me do it again and again. I wrote the story in one hour but it felt like an infinite amount of time”, Humza joked.
With the help of art designer Garima and layout designer Kevin Tsam, the publication was completely self-funded by Humza’s father, Siddiq Bazarwala, costing approximately HK$30,000 in total.
After turning his son’s story into a book, Bazarwala encourages Humza to believe in himself and always persevere. “The point I am trying to make Humza understand is anything is possible if you put your mind to it, and never give up,” he says.
From next Monday to Wednesday, a stall will be set up at the main entrance of Humza’s school for parents and students interested in purchasing the remaining 260 copies. In case of an excess demand, orders will still be taken and delivered within three days.
Bazarwala is also considering an external sales event for the general public after the first 500 copies are sold.
Edited by Andrew McNicol