My goal is to go to Africa in September 2010 for two months to volunteer my time teaching at the Kewunor Village school and to help rebuild the school to replace the grass structure with a safe, durable concrete building. The total I need to fundraise is $25,000. I am requesting your financial help.
There are about 750 people living in Kewunor Village. The school provides 100 children with an educational start and two nutritious meals a day. They depend on volunteers to help keep the school running.
The grass school building is not safe for the children. It is easily torn through by the wind and there are currently gaps big enough for the children to walk through. The building needs to be replaced every couple of months and ends up costing the village more than making a solid structure; however, there are no funds to do so. The grass building provides no protection from chigger bugs getting into the school and attacking the children’s feet. This is the third major health problem in the village after malaria and diarrhea. A concrete building would give the students a safe environment in which to learn. This school opens up opportunites for the children beyond the predominant village occupations of fishing and farming.
This project is important to me because like these children I was born into poverty. My dad wanted to come to Canada so I could get a good education, break out of the cycle of poverty and live a rewarding, free life. My family was sponsored to Canada from a Thailand refugee camp when I was two years old. I worked my way through university earning a business degree at Simon Fraser University.
The families that supported my family to Canada did more good than they know. The malnutrition at the refugee camp was causing my leg bones to deform and coming to Canada saved me from potentially spending life as a cripple. Now I live a happy, healthy life. It is important to me to thank these families by paying forward their generous and miraculous gift. I hope to inspire underprivileged children to be devoted to their education and open up more opportunites for themselves.