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Thursday, June 19, 2008

HUNTLEY ADDIE: Put your unneeded school supplies to good use

posted by BOFarrell at 10h30

The school year has ended and I just can’t wait to see if a former student will get on Oprah Winfrey.
Two weeks ago, Stephanie Jonah, who I taught a few years back, showed up at my door with a simple plan that involves me, you, any and all schools, Oprah Winfrey and Africa.
She never outright mentioned Oprah, but….
This wonderful 18-year-old, ever proud of her deep roots and rich Ghanaian heritage, has teamed with her older sister, Beatrice, to try to make a little difference in a big way.
I always say go big or go home, and this initiative sums up that mantra in a large way.
“I have always wanted to make a difference,” Stephanie said in a recent telephone interview. “But I have often felt limited and helpless to do much. My sisters and I, living both in Canada and Ghana, have always done what we could, donating old games or toys to help needy children. But that only got us so far.
“At this point, being still young, I don’t have money enough to donate what I’d like. Still, I remember at the end of a school year, my friends and I would throw out most of our school supplies. I bet this is still happening.
“I thought, why not put these wasted supplies to good use?”
So, Jonah embarked upon her quest to recruit schools to assist her in this effort. Trouble is, this time of year, schools are so busy and everyone is so worn out, that they are not inclined to support new initiatives, regardless of their brilliance.
By the time I met with this dynamic young lady, she already felt a little defeated.
“I have gone to three high schools,” she said, “and all three gave me the same sort of reply. From: ‘Well, we have already done what we can do this year for Africa,’ to: ‘Well, we keep our supplies for our own students with needs.’
Even though these are valid and fair excuses, I still feel a little down.”
Sure Ghana, a little east of the Beaconsfield mall, and it might seem beyond our immediate concern, but this does not have to be the point.
The point is not why should I help this person. Rather, the point is: Why should I not?
People act like they care. They cry at the movies and, for a few fleeting seconds, want to pool those tears into a river of action. And yet, it is the rare few who actually ride a wave of doing anything at all.
When someone comes up with an effort that really doesn’t cost a whole lot in time, energy or dollars, the cynicism and indifference of the “actors” can do significant damage to the spirit of those “Jonahs” who could make a difference.
I want to support my former student in this.
What Jonah proposes is simple. As schools shut down, instead of wastefully ditching binders, duo-tangs, dividers, old dictionaries, paper, pens, pencils and erasers into garbage bins – give them to her.
She will send them to Africa. Her sister, Beatrice, living in Accra, the capital of Ghana, is expecting the first shipment in July.
So, before bolting out to the pool, soccer field or for vacation fun, do some organizing. Take a look at all the dividers and unused loose-leaf paper; the binders that can be reused; the pencil cases, and organize now, for next year, for yourselves.
Anything extra, or unwanted, Jonah will take.
The English department at John Rennie is supporting the Jonah sisters.
The Grade 11 final provincial exam was delivered with answer booklets for the students to respond in. These booklets each have 20 pages of lined paper. Students use, on average, about 10 of these pages. Each student was given three booklets.
That’s 10 blank pages in each booklet at the end of the exam; or 30 sheets of lined paper per student. With 300 students, that’s 9,000 pages. Not bad.
We are simply collecting the paper for her. That’s a pretty good start.
Will it get her on Oprah? We’ll see.
If you'd like to support Jonah, contact her at: students.helping.students@hotmail.com

Huntley Addie can smell the summer from John Rennie High School.