Little did five-year-old Mikah Ballagh know that when she put her tiny stall out on the street to give away food and toys, it would inspire plans for a kid’s market.
Mikah has only just started school, but already has a sense of community that makes her want to give to people. So far, she has set up her tiny stand on the footpath outside her Berryfield’s home with toys, books and lollies to give away to neighbours passing by. She has also asked her mum for baking so she can walk along the street to knock on neighbours’ doors and hand them a muffin.
“I want to make them feel happy and comfortable around them,” she says. “I just like giving it.”
Very firmly, she tells Waimea Weekly “no hard questions and no French” as she counts out chocolate eggs for her stall with its rainbow in the middle of ‘Mikah’s stall’, complete with an apostrophe.
Her mum, Rebekah Ballagh, posted Mikah’s stand on the community’s Facebook group so her daughter would have an opportunity to give her items away.
“If I post she is desperate for a ‘customer’, you have people turning up and it’s really lovely. People are eager to help each other.
“Whenever I do baking, she wants to go door to door to give it out.”
It has all led to the suggestion of a kid’s market at the new Ascot Reserve nearby, once the weather warms up.
“I thought it’s an awesome idea. Kids would be divine with baking and crafts.”
Rebekah says the community-minded nature of the area means the market will probably happen.
