Last week, students at Puntledge Elementary School had the chance to experience how many children in developing countries around the world get to school; that is, if they are lucky enough to go to school.
Grade 4 French Immersion teacher, Madame Dakin, will be retiring at the end of this school year and is preparing to volunteer in the fall with Widows’ Garden Project and Kigamara School in southern Uganda. This has given her Grade 4 class the opportunity to reflect on the privileges school children have in Canada, and to have in-depth discussions about global poverty. The most important manifestation yhas been the compassion and community built around the topic both in the Grade 4 class and Puntledge Elementary School at large.
Dakin’s class started with a bake sale to support Kigamara school and its students. The sale totalled $420, enough to pay for school fees for one child in Uganda for one year.
Motivated and inspired, the class then decided to make bracelets to sell.
To deepen the learning, Dakin suggested a school-wide walk to raise awareness and to raise more funds.
On May 30, Puntledge students took part in ‘The Way To School’ walk.
In a series of simulation exercises, they carried water, gathered wood where wild animals live, crossed dangerous waterways while carrying fruit to the market, climbed obstacles as well as carried desks and chairs to class. The circuit mimicked the journey children in many poor countries undertake to receive an education. At the end of the walk, students had their class under a large tree in the shade where one teacher with one book addressed attentive students who sat on the ground. The quote of the day from a 10-year-old-boy was “helping others feels so good”. It was a powerful day!
Mr. David Moore, Volunteer Project Director of Widows’ Gardens Project was present to address every class.
Having done aid work in Africa for many years he was able to share his experiences and knowledge with Puntledge students.
The Widows’ Gardens Project leases land for impoverished widows so that they can cultivate their own gardens and become food sustainable. Many of these widows feed their grand-children by laboring in fields they do not own in return for a daily ration. The Widows’ Project enables these hard working women to lift themselves out of hunger and insecurity and into a better life.
The Widows Gardens project is presently raising money to sustain their project which is completely volunteer run. For more information email widowsgardens@gmail.com
