Havelock North boy makes decorations to fundraise for Fiji's Happy Chicken Project

Ten-year-old Xavier Lynch, from Havelock North, has helped raise more than $4500 for the Happy Chicken Project in Fiji. Photo / Paul Taylor

Most kids come back from a family holiday to Fiji with a few souvenirs and photos.

Ten-year-old Xavier Lynch, from Havelock North, came back with a business and fundraising idea.

In 2017, Lynch and his family visited Fiji where they stayed at the Happy Chicken Project permaculture farm.

"I learned that they help the communities in the Fijian Islands to sustain an alternative food source while the reefs are closed to repopulate the fish."

Villagers are sponsored to come to the farm near Sigatoka, where they learn to forage and grow the feed for the chickens as well as how to raise, care for and select the hatchlings for breeding, laying or eating.

A keen artist and inspired by the project, he told his mum he'd like to start selling decorations to help with fundraising.

He came up with 14 designs of native New Zealand and Fijian animals which are laser cut on bamboo plywood.

Xavier Lynch, 10, sells decorations he's drawn by hand and laser cut on bamboo plywood featuring native birds and wildlife. Photo / Paul Taylor

"I like art and I was interested in selling some of my art.

"The first one I did was a chicken for the Chicken Project."

The designs include birds such as tui and fantails, as well as sea horses, whales, tuatara and a reindeer for Christmas.

He chooses the designs to reflect New Zealand and Fiji.

He's had about 3000 decorations made and helped raise more than $4500 for the Happy Chicken Project.

Lynch said he had a big lift in sales over the Christmas period, though the decorations could also be used elsewhere, such a car ornaments.

They made good gifts for friends and family overseas, too. His furthest order came from New York, he said.

"The hardest part for me is working out what we need to do and making sure we send the right number of decorations for each person's order."

He hopes to go back to the Happy Chicken Project permaculture farm when he's 14 to help on the farm as a volunteer during school holidays.

• Find out more about Xavier's fundraising efforts by visiting his shop online at felt.co.nz/shop/amylynch