California teen donates birthday money to help orphans in Ethiopia

ANTIOCH, Calif. -- An Antioch teenager's Sweet 16 birthday won't be a celebration of excess or even focus on her. Instead, it will be used to help orphans half way across the planet.

Nubia Wilson decided a birthday party wasn't the right thing to do, especially after volunteering in Ethiopia earlier this year. She witnessed firsthand extreme poverty and saw children in the streets walking barefoot to school. The school only goes up to fourth grade, so Wilson is trying to add a fifth grade class.

It began in December when she told her family and friends she didn't want a big birthday party.

"Instead of gifts, I asked them if they could donate to the cause and I created a page on Crowdrise for them to donate there and I got over $2,000," she said.

Wilson says it feels good to help, but that she has to work harder now to raise more money. She's hoping to raise $10,000 and her family is getting involved by letting her auction off some of their Ethiopian art work and artifacts next month.

Wilson hopes to hand-deliver the money that she raises to the school, which is on the outskirts of the capital this summer. She said she'd like to grow up to be a humanitarian lawyer.

To donate, visit crowdrise.com/futureforhermela/fundraiser/nubiawilson.