Chanz Smith has been no stranger to spreading positivity, least of all in front of the camera.

The nine-year-old last year released a YouTube video offering encouragement and life advice.

This year, Chanz released a video instructing others on how to be good citizens.

Chanz said: “I wanted to make another one differently so that I could also help people, so that they could see my videos and do what’s right.”

The video, titled Heal the World — a message from Chanz, was posted on Monday to Raising Chanz, a YouTube channel he runs with the help of his parents.

It had instructions such as “help the elderly” and “knowledge is power. Understand what is going on in our world”.

Chanz said that he often posted to his YouTube channel as a way to share his messages and videos about his life.

He added that he tried to post a video with an important message at least once a year.

Heal the World was filmed with the help of his mother, photographer Lisa Hallal, and a family friend over the course of several days.

It now stands at 234 views ― the fourth-most viewed video on his channel at more than five times his subscriber base.

Chanz has been growing into his new-found fame.

He said: “Sometimes when I go into town or other places, people see me and say, ‘Oh, I like your video’ or ‘Your videos are good. How did you do that?’.”

Chanz said that it makes him feel “nice and happy” — not because of the recognition, but because he made a difference for the environment and in people’s lives.

Chanz’s actions in the video and his response to the recognition, according to his parents, reflected who their son was on an average day.

Ms Hallal added that much of what was filmed was entirely unscripted.

She said that one segment, involving Chanz buy a homeless man a meal, happened on the spur of the moment.

Ms Hallal explained that she took Chanz to Hamilton so he could buy Christmas gifts with his own money when the man asked him for food.

She said that Chanz then went into Mr Chicken to buy him a meal using the money he had reserved for gifts.

Ms Hallal said: “Chanz put his hand in his pocket, said ‘OK’, took him to Mr Chicken and he ended up spending $23.

“He ended up not getting his present, but he was happy that he got him his two-piece meal and his two drinks, so that made him feel really good.”

She added: “He’s just naturally like that. You don’t have to tell him to do it, it’s just who he is.

“So it’s easy to do the videos with him if I follow him around and film him in general. That’s just his nature.

“He’s always been different and to see him care so much about humanity is completely amazing.”

Chanz had been interested in the environment his entire life, first developing a curiosity for gardening that grew into a wider interest in sustainability and nature.

It was sparked by him growing his first plants — a loquat tree, now four years old, and a tomato vine.

Sinclair Smith Sr, Chanz’s dad, said that his son had always taken pride in both growing produce and helping his community.

He said: “Instead of him having trucks and toys to play with, he’s having a cucumber and avocado and being happy.

“What nine-year-old do you know gets really excited because he got flower pots for Christmas or his birthday?”

Mr Sinclair said that he was well known in the neighbourhood for selling his produce and offering to help mow the lawns of his elderly neighbours.

He said: “He’s a very easygoing and interesting individual, just in general. We’re very proud of him.”