{"id":124,"date":"2025-03-04T03:02:32","date_gmt":"2025-03-04T03:02:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/htd.sofamoci.com\/?p=124"},"modified":"2025-03-04T03:02:32","modified_gmt":"2025-03-04T03:02:32","slug":"13-years-old-girl-gets-juice-thrown-at-her-face-punched-and-even-shown-a-knife-by-schoolmates-only-for-picking-up-litter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/htd.sofamoci.com\/?p=124","title":{"rendered":"13-Years-Old Girl Gets Juice Thrown At Her Face, Punched And Even Shown A Knife By Schoolmates Only For Picking Up Litter"},"content":{"rendered":"

Meet Nadia Sparks, a 13-year-old student from Norwich, England, who took on the noble task of picking up trash on her way to school every day to help make the world a better place. Since she started her project, she has picked up over 1100 liters of garbage, much of which has been recycled, and she has inspired countless others to start doing the same.<\/p>\n

\"13-Years-Old<\/p>\n

Image credits:\u00a0teamtrashgirl<\/p>\n

Nadia is exactly the kind of person we need more of, someone who cares about her community and the Earth that we all share. However, bullies at her school saw her positive behavior as something to use against her, and started taunting her with the name \u2018trash girl.\u2019<\/p>\n

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<\/i>\"13-Years-Old<\/p>\n

Image credits:\u00a0teamtrashgirl<\/p>\n

Undeterred, Nadia turned the bullying on its head by embracing the term, which she said made her sound \u201clike a superhero.\u201d She continued with her cleaning crusade and started up the \u2018Team Trash Girl\u2018 Facebook page, where she encourages others to post their own litter-picking stories.<\/p>\n

\u201cI wanted to find a way to help everyone support one another, to help fix the planet\u2019s problems before it becomes unfixable,\u201d\u00a0she writes.\u00a0 \u201cSo, please try to pick up 3 pieces of litter today.\u00a0Show us what you have found. Let\u2019s all support each other to make the world a better place.\u201d<\/p>\n

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<\/i>\"13-Years-Old<\/p>\n

Image credits:\u00a0teamtrashgirl<\/p>\n

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<\/i>\"13-Years-Old<\/p>\n

Image credits:\u00a0teamtrashgirl<\/p>\n

After her story first went viral in 2018, Nadia became an ambassador for the wildlife charity WWF and has won international recognition and awards. She was even immortalized in cartoon form, and, being a keen artist herself, is also publishing her own environment-themed cartoon in a local newspaper.<\/p>\n

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<\/i>\"13-Years-Old<\/p>\n

Image credits:\u00a0teamtrashgirl<\/p>\n

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<\/i>\"13-Years-Old<\/p>\n

Image credits:\u00a0creativenation<\/p>\n

But her bullies didn\u2019t let up. If anything, the attention that Nadia was getting only seemed to fuel their jealousy and bitterness. Nadia had cups of orange juice thrown at her,\u00a0she was shown a knife and even punched, leading to police eventually getting involved and Nadia having to change schools.<\/p>\n

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<\/i>\"13-Years-Old<\/p>\n

Image credits:\u00a0TeamTrashGirl\/Facebook<\/p>\n

Now at a new school, Reepham High, Nadia has a perfect teacher in Matt Willer, who she first met when they were both nominated for an eco hero award.<\/p>\n

Mr Willer, who runs an allotment project,\u00a0told the BBC: \u201cI\u2019d heard of the amazing work she was doing collecting rubbish and how, very sadly, she was being bullied because she was doing something different.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThis hit a nerve with me and we discussed how Nadia might like to come and have a look at Reepham High.\u201d<\/p>\n

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<\/i>\"13-Years-Old<\/p>\n

Image credits:\u00a0RHS<\/p>\n

Mr. Willer said the teenager would be a \u201chuge asset\u201d to the allotment project.<\/p>\n

\u201cAll the volunteers look forward to working with her as we all set a sound example about respecting the environment and living more sustainably.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nadia\u2019s old school, Hellesdon High, said students\u2019 safety and welfare was of paramount importance. \u201cWe promote an ethos that reflects high moral standards, a culture of social responsibility and fosters a safe learning environment for all students. All students are respected and their individuality is valued,\u201d\u00a0Hellesdon principal Tom Rolfe said.<\/p>\n

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<\/i>\"13-Years-Old<\/p>\n

Image credits:\u00a0Bill Smith<\/p>\n

But Paula Sparkes, Nadia\u2019s mom, said her daughter was not supported at\u00a0Hellesdon High. \u201cThe staff were not on her side to help and support her and we felt it was not appropriate for her to be there any more,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

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<\/i>\"13-Years-Old<\/p>\n

Image credits:\u00a0theoutdoorguide<\/p>\n

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<\/i>\"13-Years-Old<\/p>\n

Image credits:\u00a0theoutdoorguide<\/p>\n

Nadia continues to go from strength to strength under her moniker of \u2018Trash Girl,\u2019 a name that was designed to taunt her but now brings her so much pride and determination. Her fans regularly upload their own pics of themselves cleaning up Britain on her Facebook page, some of which you can see below.<\/p>\n

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<\/i>\"13-Years-Old<\/p>\n

Image credits:\u00a0theoutdoorguide<\/p>\n