Children Helping Children: Middle Schoolers Raise Money for Africa

By Raga S. Elim, Ph.D., Chair
District Committee on International Understanding

In May, middle school students in Williamsburg, Virginia, contributed $125 to the Initiative for Africa.

Students at Berkeley Middle School bought raffle tickets for the chance to put pie in the face of an 8th grade teacher. Seven teachers volunteered for the event, which was held at the school "block party."

Students decided to contribute to the Initiative for Africa after their teacher, Deborah Kendall, invited me to speak to their social studies class. She had read an article I published in the local Williamsburg newspaper.

Students were shocked to hear that 26,000 children die from hunger and disease each day in developing countries, many of them in sub-Saharan Africa. The students were concerned about the conditions I described in Africa and intrigued by our Initiative to help African children by helping their families buy human-powered irrigation pumps so they can grow food and start small businesses. As a result, the families can feed themselves and, in addition, pay for education and medicine and opportunities for their children.

At the end of class, several students said they would like to contribute to this Kiwanis project. Their fund-raising efforts resulted in the $125 contribution this month. Children in the United States helping children in Africa-truly an inspiring result.