Huntsville students are doing their part to help a child on the other side of the globe.
Students at the school in Iron Springs have been raising money this year to help 10-year-old Tabitha in Zambia, Africa. The little girl was left on her own after her mother died and her father could no longer afford to care for her. With monthly sponsorship from the Huntsville students she is living in an SOS children’s village.
Not only are local students helping her with their fundraising, they are also learning more about the world in general and becoming more environmentally aware. The students collect recycling money and donate it to Tabitha. In addition they also send letters, small packages and help support her education goals.
Benny Reimer, Jack Reiter, Agatha Reimer and Annie Martens, representing their Grade 4 classmates, said the effort to raise funds helps Tabitha with school supplies, food and clothing. They said the community can also help but donating their cans and bottles to the school for recycling.
“We want to help her, to save her life and help her have an education,” said Reiter.
While the Grade 4 class is leading the project the whole school had been participating in the recycling and has already raised over $200 this school year.
“We’re becoming global citizens, said Martens.
The students think of themselves as Tabitha’s Canadian family and they want to see her be able to thrive and get the education she needs to move forward in her life.
This is not the first time the school has undertaken a fundraising project to benefit children in another part of the world. Last year they helped raising money to assist a school for boys in Kenya. The money was used to help build a study hall and was delivered by preschool teacher Joelle Epp who made the trip to Africa last summer as part of a church building project.
“The kids were part of that building project. They made it possible.”