Bunbury girl's new challenge

Through the publication of her new book Bella’s Challenge, 11-year-old Bella Burgemeister is educating children and adults on the United Nation’s 17 goals for Sustainable Development.

The book focuses on the social and environmental challenges that face the world and how the local community can take steps now to make a difference to the future.

Among the list of 17 goals there are a few that have particular importance to the young author. Most important to Bella is number five on the list, gender equality.

This includes equal pay and the expulsion of domestic violence and its causes, starting in schools which is where Bella said she first encountered gender inequality in the form of bullying.

“I first encountered bulling from the young boys at my school when I was picked on for being a girl,” she said.

It was comments like “you can’t do what I can because you’re a woman,” that spurred Bella to push for a clearer understanding of what bullying is and what it does.

“I was told boys pick on girls because they like them, but that’s how domestic violence begins because they’re not told it’s unacceptable behaviour.

“I want to see people in schools identifying the issue and telling someone so we can catch it before it becomes a worse problem in high school and worse again in adult life.”

The other problem close to Bella’s heart is one she’s been personally asking the City of Bunbury to address, poverty.

“People say there’s no homeless people in Bunbury, but I’ve spent weeks talking to Bunbury’s homeless and I can see their struggle,” she said.

Bella is pushing for the city to make lockers available for Bunbury’s homeless to give them a place to store what belongings they have. For more on Bella’s Challenge visit bookincubator.com.au