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ALL winter, once a week, the grades four and five students at Comox Valley
Christian School sold baked goods at lunch hour, to raise money for things like
roosters and soccer balls.
The Munchie Monday project, as it was called, was aimed at enabling them to
order items out of the World Vision catalogue. They would then see that the
goods were sent to selected African countries, to help in the economic
development of villages where children their own ages were living.
Close to $130 was raised during the year, and was stored in what seemed like a
safe spot in the home classroom of the students involved, said Derrick Nelson,
their teacher.
Early in June, Nelson found that the money had been stolen, along with a
television set, a DVD player and a stash of candy.
It was a disappointment to the children, intent as they had been to see that the
money was well spent, so children in a less developed country could be helped. The story did not end badly, fortunately; but more about that later.
Noted Nelson: “Three students did their research through an online World Vision catalogue; then
the rest of the class members debated what they thought of the proposals.
“Among the recommendations were three soccer balls, a rooster and hen set, desks
for children, school lunches and supplies for a fish farm.”
Each item helps provide relevant economic or social assistance to young people.
The rooster and hen, for example, supply eggs, more birds – and, in due course, meat.
In addition to helping people in a less-developed country, the students were
learning lessons in democracy and citizenship. They voted in an election that
helped them choose four different items from the catalogue.
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And, as it turned out, the Comox Valley children learned something about
forgiveness – choosing to forgive the yet unknown thief who broke into their classroom.
And, when some of the parents and leaders in the church affiliated with the
school (Northgate Foursquare) learned about the break-in, they pitched in with
. . . not $130, but $250. So, almost twice as many items than originally
intended were provided to the recipient African villages.
As to the choice of project for citizenship education, Nelson pointed out that
Munchie Monday was just one of several operating in the school.
Other classes were involved in Operation Christmas Child, where students fill
shoeboxes with items that are sent to less developed countries. Still others
used a ‘Jeans Day’ to help young people at Children’s Hospital in Vancouver. And there was a ‘tech fast,’ in which young people went a certain number of days without using their iPods.
– Lloyd Mackey
September 2009
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