Five-year-old boy raises over £600 for charity by swimming with crocodiles

A five-year-old boy raised more than £600 for charity by swimming with crocodiles.

Zeki Slowinski, took on the challenge alongside his mum and dad, Seniha Slowinski, 44, and Mariusz Slowinski, 39,  from Widecombe Road, Mottingham.

Zeki was inspired to raise money for people less fortunate than him after a conversation with his mum when he was just four-years-old.

Mrs Slowinski said: “He got really cross one night over dinner because of what I served him. I said he had to eat it and he had a tantrum.

“Then I explained that there are children who would love to have that meal and he is so privileged.

“We started to discuss people who are less fortunate than us and I showed him some Youtube videos of charity workers who help children who can’t even get clean water.

“Then he stopped complaining about the food I made.”

Shortly after the conversation, the Slowinski family attended a Christian Aid session at their church.

The charity was set up in 1945 by British and Irish churches to help refugees following the Second World War.

Today, it provides humanitarian relief and support for poor communities across the world.

Mrs Slowinski said: “It’s one thing talking to a four-year-old about these problems but it’s another thing to actually get them doing things to help.”

After his mum suggested doing a fitness fundraiser, Zeki managed to raise £250 for Christian Aid by taking part in a competition to see how many burpees and sit ups he could do with his dad, a Thai boxing instructor.

Then, a year later, Zeki asked his mum if he could do another one but this time he wanted it “better, to raise more money.”

Zeki had seen an advert for crocodile swimming and decided this would be his next challenge.

On July 7, the family went to a reptile centre and each had their own crocodile to swim with.

Zeki said: “I was a little bit nervous on the day, but then I got to touch its scales and teeth. You have to hold their tail low and their head high because they move about.

“Daddy didn’t hold him well so he got hit in the face by his tail.”

Zeki, who raised £600 for his crocodile swimming funraiser, also got to hold a chameleon and a snake at the reptile centre.

Mrs Slowinski said: “The whole experience was great, we learned so much.”

Pictured top: Zeki holding the crocodile (Picture: Seniha Slowinski)