2011 Pre-Fourth Distribution Post 2: Students of Academy of the Sacred Heart

Here are some of the students that are a part of the Academy of the Sacred Heart in Grand Coteau, Louisiana.  Why am I talking about students in Louisiana?  The 7th grade class picked some of our Zambian students to write to and offer support to.  It was intended to help both groups with their letter writing skills and to learn about other cultures.  What was not expected was what came next when the ASH students decided they wanted to do more.
The 7th grade students organized a fundraiser across the school.  In February, they gained permission to get a "free dress" day (not having to wear their uniforms).  In exchange for being able to wear the clothes that they wanted to, the girls gave a donation to our children in the Mwana Hope Zambia program.  This small group of determined girls raised $326 in one day!!!  Talk about some incredible girls, right?!

Here is what the 7th grade class president wrote:
"The fundraiser was an idea that seemed simple; I was wondering why no one thought of it before. Then again, some people today do not seem to notice when other people are suffering unless they are pulled into situations where they have no chioce but to notice.  We, the seventh grade students of the Academy of the Sacred Heart, had our own little realization earlier this school year when we were assigned a penpal project with teen girls and boys from Zambia. When we all heard about their lives there we felt a guilty sadness about the way we live compared to them. Some children and teens in zambia have almost nothing but their famillies. Most don't even have that.  Their parents have died from AIDS and other deseases that cannot be cured so that the children end up having to take care of their brothers and sisters. My penpal was only 7 when both of her parents died and now she runs the family.  She has to worry about if she can get her siblings food and keep them alive. All of the children there feel that it is a great privelage to get to go to school.  The school struggles to buy supplies for all the kids. That is why we are doing this fundraiser...
The money will go towards them buying school supplies and whatever they need for the kids.  These children want very badly to be educated so please... help them to graduate from school."
Now that distribution and the annual assembly have happened, we will soon see pictures of what the girls provided for our children.  Stay tuned to see just how much one small group of girls can provide!