After completing an entire geography unit on Africa, seventh-graders in Marge Sullivan’s class decided it wasn’t just enough to read about the poverty-stricken country of Kenya, they wanted to help out.
Last week, students collected over 300 gently used children’s books for K-7 that will be sent to children in Kenya.
During the unit on Africa, Sullivan taught her students about the geography and culture of the different countries on the continent.
They created animal-themed tribal masks out of construction paper, as well as flags for the different countries.
But the poverty they read about in class and saw during Oprah Winfrey’s televised trip to South Africa just stuck with them.
According to the website for the Department for International Development, Kenya is one of the poorest countries in Africa, with more than 52 percent of the population living below the poverty line.
Sullivan said her students ‘became very compassionate about the poverty? in the country and wanted to do their part to help.
All of the books collected will be taken to Kenya by students from the William and Mary College in Virginia on May 15.
While there, the students will create audio tapes of the books and leave them for the children to enjoy.