We firmly believe that when you want something done, particularly the almost-impossible, you ask kids to do it because they never stop to think that it might be impossible or even nearly-impossible. They JUST DO IT!
The kids we have written about many times in this diary are the students at Broad Meadows Middle School in Quincy, MA. The Quincy Kids have been involved in student activism and improving the lives of children around the world since they first met Iqbal Masih, a young Pakistani child who had been indentured as a rug weaver and spent his days tied to a loom, creating beautiful carpets. Once hearing Iqbal’s story and then learning of his subsequent murder, Broad Meadows students and their dedicated teacher, Ron Adams, vowed to change the world. Over the years we have always offered them the tools to allow them to carry out their work. We had not heard from the kids since school began last September and then, just this afternoon, we received the following email from Ron Adams. Read on–Ron’s words never fail to warm the heart and give you hope for a better world…
Hello Naomi,
How are you? The Quincy Kids and I are hoping 2010 is treating you well.
We are fine, but tired, and we need some help from some "Good People." Why are we tired?
The school year at Broad Meadows Middle School began with a record 60 middle school students joining our Kids’ Campaign (founded in 1994 to keep alive the dream of a martyred child slave).
Each year as you well know, the children here partner with children in a dozen or so other US schools and we partner with one reputable non-governmental organization to bring freedom, education and health care to children in a developing country in memory of Iqbal Masih. We call our annual project Operation Day’s Work or ODW for short. One is the operative number. Each school year, the children involved choose ONE country, ONE non-governmental organization in that country, ONE project designed by the people in the chosen country, and the thousand children involved in the dozen member schools work ONE day for that project and then donate their ONE day’s pay to the project. A thousand children in our dozen member schools times $30 each adds up to enough to make a project into a reality each school year. So far, we have successfully established such projects in eleven countries in Central America, Africa and in Asia.
So, in late 2009, the kids studied the 10 project proposals received this year.
In November of 2009 the kids’ voting results revealed they had voted to partner with the non-governmental organization,Selamta, and to make "Homes and Families for Ethiopian Orphans," as our annual ODW aid project. This project will provide THIS YEAR 70 orphans with three things every child needs: a family, a home and an education. Currently, 5 million orphans are warehoused by the thousands in Ethiopia. This year’s project will change the lives forever of 70 of those orphans by providing them with nine brothers and sisters, a step-mom and a step-aunt, and a brand new home. We hope to raise awareness of the 5 million orphans of Ethiopia in this year’s project. Helping 70 may not seem like much, but the alternative is to do nothing or do something. This year, as they have done since 1994, the Kids’ Campaign voted to DO SOMETHING. (Think "Legend of the Starfish" )
Naomi, 2010 started with such high hopes and big plans for repairing the lives of orphans in Ethiopia, then at 5 P.M.’ish on January 12th, that 7.0 earthquake struck Haiti. On January 13th, The Quincy Kids (aka ODW aka The Kids’ Campaign) voted to put on hold the Ethiopia campaign for ONE month. The number ONE was replaced by the number TWO. The Quincy Kids decided they would double their efforts and help people in TWO countries this year: Haiti and Ethiopia.
From January 12th to February 12th, Broad Meadows students organized the school and the community in a month of fund raising for Haitian earthquake victims.
For a drawing, local businesses donated prizes such as Red Sox tickets, a signed Patriots jersey, a Wii, dinner certificates, and more. A donation jar was set up in the cafeteria. Teachers sold mini bottles of water in classrooms. Over $3000 was raised and donated to our last year’s ODW partner "Partners in Health." Last year’s annual project coincidentally was free education for 2000 children in Haiti and free health care for their families. Everything seemed so small in comparison to the 200,000 dead and millions homeless in Haiti in 2010.
Last Friday we handed our donations to Partners in Health. Now, we are going to resume our fund-raising for the Ethiopian Orphan Project with Selamta. Some might say enough has been done this school year. Some might say the community cannot support another global aid project in the current recession. Some might be experiencing donor fatigue. However, at last Friday’s after school activism meeting, the Broad Meadows students voted to immediately resume the 2010 Ethiopia campaign. (I love these kids! They want to change children’s worlds and nothing can stop them!) I have total faith in these kids, but in helping Haiti, they wiped out their "tools for change."
They need some help.
Dear friends, Naomi and The Good People Fund," I hope you can consider restocking some of the tools used up in January and February.
To raise awareness of their Ethiopian "Homes and Families for Orphans" campaign (February to June), the kids compiled a list of supplies they "wish" they had:
white poster board
white out
3 different color highlighters
stamps
colorful markers
pens
a 6 foot vinyl sign to hang where they perform community service
9×12 envelopes
and 2 bus rentals: one to take them "Child Labor Free" shopping at the nearby mall in May,as well as one more bus rental on April 3 to take them to the ODW Regional Conference in Vermont where they will meet with the head of Selamta (this year’s elected Ethiopian orphan project)
Those are The Quincy Kids’ needs.
One never knows what is possible until one tries. The Quincy Kids are trying to change the world (a little) twice this year.
If you can help, we never needed it more.
You had previously written to us back in the Fall asking what our 2010 wish list contains. I hesitated in compiling the list; I hoped this would be the year The Quincy Kids would stand on their own, without their guardian angel, Naomi. However, it is winter, and the kids need help helping others.
I am blessed to work with such idealistic, big-hearted, young activists.
I am blessed to watch these kids use ordinary business supplies to educate and motivate others to action.
The kids are blessed by the encouragement you provide.
You always show faith in these kids.
For the many, many blessings you have provided, I thank you…
I love these kids and their activism,
Ron Adams, proud teacher adviser to
Operation Day’s Work (aka The Quincy Kids’ Campaign)
Broad Meadows Middle School
Quincy, MA USA
How could we not help these kids? The needs are modest and the impact so great in so many different ways. The orders have already been placed and when the kids return to school on Monday they will have all the tools they need to begin their newest project–helping Ethiopian orphans gain a better life.
