# 28 in the OCSTA “Good News in Ontario’s Catholic Schools” series

November 04, 2009 (Catholic Education, Catholic Schools)

Reprinted from the Huron-Perth CDSB Director’s Newsletter

When the students of St. Anne’s Catholic Secondary School In Clinton learned about children halfway around the world who were locked in a cycle of poverty, they did more than ponder the unfairness of it all…they did something about it.

Inspired by Free the Children, an organization founded by Marc and Craig Kielburger that involves youth in development programs around the world, God called the students to action – and they listened.

Nearly one year ago on November 6, 2008, staff and students welcomed Marc Kielburger to St. Anne’s and presented him with a cheque for $8500. The donation was enough to build an elementary school in Kenya, w here violent protests following the 2007 presidential election resulted in the destruction of some schools and the displacement of hundreds of thousands of people.

The St. Anne’s students were committed to see the project through to completion, and with the help of their community, clergy and network of support, the school-building journey began. Preparations were underway months before leaving Canadian soil, as everyone involved knew that the challenge would require an extraordinary effort.

“Free the Children offered information to help us prepare both culturally and emotionally for the trip,” explained Ms. Jodi Kuran, Principal of St. Anne’s Catholic Secondary School and Kenya team leader. “Father John Jasica helped prepare us spiritually. A special part of the preparation also came from Bishop Ronald Fabbro, who celebrated Mass with us and gave us his blessing with the whole Diocese of London.”

The staff of St. Anne’s was also instrumental to the group’s success.

“I believe we were as ready as we could have been to travel to a third world country,” says Sam, a Grade 12 student. “We knew what to expect heading into an area that didn’t have access to clean drinking water. We learned about prevalent diseases like Malaria, and were taking Malaria pills before we left. Our teachers helped to fully prepare all of us for the trip, so that we would be fine with the surroundings once we arrived.”

And so, armed with knowledge and enthusiasm, a team of 18 dedicated students made the trek from Clinton, Ontario to Masai Mara, Kenya this past July.

Within a day of landing in the Kenyan capital of Nairobi, the group left the bustling city, for the secluded Masai camp where they worked with their assigned support team: two Canadian-born Free the Children translators, drivers, cooks, security personnel, Fundis (the construction workers who helped with the build), and a Masai warrior named Sammy who the students quickly befriended.

The students broke ground and hauled it away in the African heat, working in the mornings and late afternoons to build the foundation for one elementary school and the floor of another, as more Free the Children volunteers would be arriving to finish the job.

“The trench we dug was four feet deep. We worked with pick-axes and shovels, and the ground was rock solid” recalls Sam.

It was a tough job – which is why the organization broke up the students’ work schedule with a variety of other experiences.

“Free the Children has their days balanced with team-building experiences to keep us aware of social justice issues,” recounts Ms. Kuran. One day, we had the chance to walk a 4 kilometre route down a dirt road with the mommas, who make the journey four times a day to gather water in dirty containers. In the evening, we had a discussion about the value of clean water, and how much of it we waste.”

For some, the unsanitary river is the only source of drinking water.

Other activities included visits to a local market, a hike in the beautiful mountainous region of Masai Mara, and a safari through a park reserve where students snapped photos of lions, giraffes and elephants. They also spent time with local children and families, many of whom live in crude mud huts with thatched roofs and sleep on the floor. Spending time with the villagers offered the group a jarring revelation of the inequities that exist in their two separate worlds.

“A lot of community members here don’t realize what’s going on elsewhere, and don’t care that they’re throwing away water and food that would be gladly used in other places,” says Sam.

For the St. Anne’s group, an eye-opening realization was just how badly the local children want to go to school, with some walking 5 kilometres in bare feet just to get there. They also found incredible joy in the Masai Mara, despite its people having so little.

“It’s incredible how much happiness there is there. Here, people who have so much still want more and there is so much unhappiness,” reflects Ms. Kuran. “There, it’s so different — they have so little, and are happy with what they have.”

Back at school, some members of the group are writing letters to the Masai children to keep in touch. Preparations are also being made for fundraisers in the late fall and early spring, to fund the building of a new high school in the Masai Mara, under the direction of Free the Children. Ms. Kuran welcomes those who have questions, or would like to book a presentation to call the school directly at (519)482-5454.

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