While most 11 year olds are playing video games these school holidays, one North Wollongong girl is trying to raise money for drought-affected farmers.
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Keely Johnston was moved to action after she saw the brown grass and empty dams less than an hour away in Picton.
That's why she has organised a plant sale fundraiser with the help of her mum, Gwynneville Public School principal Trish Payne and classmates.
"When I saw how dry the paddocks were, I just thought, 'this is not right, it is not good'," Keely said.
"I had heard about the drought at school and many of my friends said 'no, it is fine. There has been rain and the water is back'.
"On the weekend, we went on a family holiday to Dubbo and where we were camping was just dust. I put some water on the ground and it just sat on top and didn't soak in."
With the help of family and friends, donations and some savvy money saving tricks, Keely has collected toilet rolls, succulents and potting mix.
During the first week of term, year 5 and 6 students will fill the toilet rolls with soil and a succulent off-cut.
The plants will then be sold through the school canteen, Gwynneville Post Office and il Pozzo Cafe.
Keely has been collecting hundreds of cans and converting them into cash to pay for supplied and got soil donated from Big W, Dapto.
The plants will be sold for between $2 and $5 for about a month from October 21.
Keely hopes people will buy them as Christmas presents and may also sell succulents in coffee or tea cups.
With each plant sold, people will get a card that has water saving tips to encourage everyone to do their bit.
All funds will go to charity group, the Dilly Drought Drive, which raises money to provide hay and water to struggling farmers in the Macarthur region.
Keely hopes the fundraiser will help her classmates understand that the drought is still ongoing.
Keely's mother Delma Johnston said she was "extremely proud" of her daughter who had thought of the idea to sell plants.
"The idea has grown from there," she said. "Keely has gone to shops and asked for help."
Anyone who wants to donate succulents can drop them off to Gwynneville Public School.
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