"Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world."
-Nelson Mandela
At the elementary school where I work in Oklahoma, we are all participating in a fundraising project called "Hope for Haiti."
"What's the hope for such a poor, underdeveloped country," you ask? Schools. The purpose of our project is to build schools.
When we had the initial rally to get our students excited about "Hope for Haiti," we showed them some pictures of the school that, with the funds we are raising, 40 preschoolers will be able to attend in the fall. Gasps could be heard throughout the gymnasium as kids whispered to each other, "That's a school?!" The four mud walls and thatched roof didn't seem like much to them... until the American students started seeing faces of the Haitians who will get to go...until they heard that most Haitians only have a third grade education...until they realized that going to school is actually a privilege. We've already raised thousands of dollars, simply because a few Americans students understood the value of education, and the cost, and decided to clean out their piggy banks to help.
Haiti isn't the only country that needs help. "Children are like blank slates," says Francisco Rulli in the video below. They can absorb so many ideas if only they have access to the right materials. Schools in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and other countries need our resources, as well. I know that not every school can have a project like "Hope for Haiti," but if a few first graders can spare some extra change for a group of kids that they will never meet, surely we, as adults, can afford to make a small sacrifice for others.
The education system in Afghanistan and Haiti is improving, but the necessity of continued education in these countries cannot be understated. Rulli states, "Educated people, no matter where they are born, have different skills in talking to people and in finding common ground." The more we can help people expand their horizons by educating them, the stronger our world will be.
(Check out this and other videos on My WebTV at http://webtvs.filmannex.com/MaryRachelFenrick.)
