Nawal Victoria Roa’s mother spoke out about her daughter’s viral piggy bank donation.
Nawal Victoria Roa, 6, captured hearts across Colombia when she handed over her life savings to earthquake relief workers in Medellín on Wednesday. The child arrived at a local donation center clutching a can filled with coins she had spent months collecting, presenting it to TikToker @bynatyvflorece, who had launched the grassroots drive to aid victims of the devastating 7.4 magnitude quake.
“It’s absolutely filled,” the social media influencer said as the little girl looked on timidly. “With this we can buy a lot of things. Oh, I love you.”
A smiling Nawal Victoria then stepped forward for a hug, drawing cheers from volunteers and residents who were present. The TikToker posted the moment with the caption “Que les parece esta donación y estos ayudantes? 😭❤️🩹 aún puedes unirte. Donaremos a municipios y choco!” The clip spread rapidly across social platforms as Colombians grappled with the mounting toll of Monday’s disaster.
“Those small acts of help… Come from the heart and reflect values that have been instilled – in this case, solidarity,” one TikToker commented on the video.
“What a precious little thing. You can tell she’s well-raised,” another wrote.
Nawal Victoria’s mother, Karen Villanova, told The Post Friday that Nawal Victoria and her sister always fill their piggy banks each December to purchase gifts for children who are less fortunate. However, the family wasn’t able to do so last year because Karen was recovering from surgery.
Nawal Victoria had been planning to purchase a new bicycle with the money she had saved up, but after Monday’s tragedy she understood her savings were needed for a better cause. The child’s decision came as Colombia reeled from its strongest earthquake in a decade, which struck near San José del Palmar in the Chocó department on August 10.
Karen was overwhelmed by the love shown to her daughter. “When we set out to help, we weren’t looking for cameras, recognition, or an audience,” Karen wrote Friday in a Facebook post. “We went simply with the desire to serve and bring a little love amidst so much pain.”
She continued, “Today I understand that perhaps God allowed so many people to see – through a little girl -something that goes far beyond a video: that when we sow love, faith, and generosity in our children, one day we will see that seed begin to bear fruit.”
In the viral moment that propelled Nawal Victoria to national attention, the shy six-year-old stood before volunteers at the Medellín relief center and offered everything she had. The influencer running the donation drive knelt to receive the can, exclaiming over its weight and the child’s sacrifice. The embrace that followed, captured on video, became a symbol of grassroots solidarity as official death tolls climbed past 273 and injuries topped 4,000.
President Abelardo de la Espriella visited Chocó on Friday, the epicenter region where the quake originated, several hours after three additional tremors were registered. “From Chocó, I stand with the families affected by the emergency,” he wrote on X. “This government has but one absolute priority: to mobilize the full capacity of the state so that we can overcome this situation together.”
International aid has poured in, with the United Arab Emirates pledging $10 million and China providing $1 million in financial aid plus over $2 million in humanitarian assistance. The South American Football Confederation and Colombian Football Federation jointly announced $1 million for reconstruction efforts, stating “Soccer transcends the pitch and remains close to its people, especially in the most difficult times.”
Vice President José Manuel Restrepo told reporters in Quibdó that rescuers had concluded search operations in the Chocó area and were shifting to the “humanitarian phase.” The region had received some 7 tons of aid as of Thursday, with nearly 40 tons expected by week’s end.
On Thursday, first responders recovered the body of 23-year-old Isabella Saavedra, one of two triplets killed when their home collapsed in Cali. Her parents, Jairo Saavedra and Victoria Caicedo, her uncle Diego Caicedo, and her sister Sofía Saavedra were also inside and were killed. Isabella’s sister Ana María was the lone survivor, recovering at a local hospital after surgery for a fractured pelvis.
The Colombian Red Cross has made an urgent appeal for blood donations in Bogotá, Medellín, Cali, Manizales, Armenia, Cartagena, and Villavicencio to support hospitals treating the injured.