World Outreach

 Pennies For Peace

By: Taylor

    A few weeks ago, Chaparral finished doing the program called Pennies for Peace.  It was a resounding success, making $669.50.  Even though a penny does not buy anything in Calabasas, in the Middle East it can make a world of difference.  One penny can buy a pencil, two an eraser, ten a notebook, the list goes on and on.  Really, to comprehend the change that Chaparral students made, you have to hear the whole story.

    

              After a failed attempt to try and climb K2, the second tallest mountain in the world, Greg  Mortenson stumbled onto a remote mountain village in Central Pakistan.  The inhabitants of this village nursed him back to health.  Just before he was about to go home, Mr. Mortenson asked to see the place where the children studied.  He saw all of the village's children sitting on the frigid dirt, writing with mud-covered stocks on slates, or more often, the ground.  He found out that the children only had a teacher come to them a few times a week, because the village of a few hundred people could not afford the $1 a day to pay for their children's education.  He decided to do something about that.  He wrote around eight hundred letters to celebrities, earnestly pleading for money to help impoverished children half a world away.  The only response that he got was from the newscaster Tom Brokaw, who donated the measly sum of $100, which would not get you far in building a whole school anywhere in the world.  This is where Pennies for Peace comes in. Greg spoke to the school where his mother was principal about the children that he had come to care so much for.  One boy said that he would donate his piggy bank, but Greg did not think too much of it.  Pretty soon, more and more children were donating and the grand total was $623.45, which contributed quite a lot toward the $12,000 it would take to build a school.  With the help of Jean Hoerni, Greg did manage to build a school, a bridge, and a foundation called the Central Asia Institute.  This led to many more and made the Central Asia Institute and Pennies for Peace the organizations committed to promoting peace there today.  More recently, the Central Asia Institute started building schools in war-ravaged Afghanistan.  This helps fortify the idea that world peace will only be achieved if every citizen is educated and has the opportunity for a good, free life.  As you can see, Chaparral students made a big difference by participating in Pennies for Peace. 

Comment:

1. How do you feel about the Pennies for Peace Campaign?

2. How do you feel that ONE fifth grader at Chaparral has made an impact such a significant impact?

3. Has Taylor inspired you to help in your community?