My classmates and I strongly believe that education eradicates poverty. However, in the case of Sierra Leone, education will involve much more than books and curriculum. This will be a school with a huge difference. There will be two distinct types of students sharing the classroom. First, there will be those students who, upon not joining the rebel army immediately suffered the loss of a limb. The second group of students will be child combatants. These children, some as young as seven years, were abducted into the rebel armies. It is estimated that ten thousand children were combatants. Currently only 31% of the children attend elementary school. Girls account for only 18% of this number. A school will of
fer these children education, hope and a chance for reconciliation. Included in curriculum is the use of creative and performing arts. It has been found that those who had fought as child soldiers during the war regularly performed plays about their lives during the conflict, informing the community of what they had endured. Interestingly, children choose to use comedy so that the audience’s laughter will eventually overcome their bitterness towards them.Story Title
The past two years has seen our small school, (we are only 120 students) extremely involved with a Canadian organization called Free the Children. In conjunction with this organization, our school has set a goal to construct a self-sustaining village in the most war-ravaged area of Sierra Leone, the Kono District. We are hoping to begin with a school. Free the Children is primarily funded by the efforts of children. Since its inception it has built more than 400 schools servicing 35,000 children. Over 90% of the funds raised to build schools are from the efforts of elementary and high school students. Free the Children has been nominated three consecutive times for the Nobel Peace Prize.
In efforts to reach our goal, our class is holding several activities. However, for the first time, we wish to hold an auction. We are hoping that you might wish to participate in the auction or make a one time monetary contribution in any amount. I have enclosed a copy a letter from the founder of Free the Children, Craig Kielburger, in which he mentions the students at my high school in an address to UNESCO as well as some additional material on “Free the Children”. If you require any further information you can reach us using the above contact information. The auction will be held in May 2006. Can we count on your support? Please notify us of your decision by January 15, 2005. On behalf of the children of Sierra Leon and my classmates, I thank you for your time and consideration.
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