I was looking for a way to teach Isabella about generosity, a trait that doesn’t always come naturally to a four year old.  James directed me to Bridget who suggested collecting donations from Isabella’s preschool. I asked the school director if it was OK. She seemed excited about the idea. I also e-mailed all the parents at the school and told them that Isabella would be bringing in a “For One World” donation box for show and tell. My daughter and I decorated the box with pictures of some of the children in Ghana. When she brought the box to school, she and her teacher took out a map and showed the children where Ghana is. The box was filled with supplies that very first day. Additional bags of supplies continued to be brought in throughout the week. It’s been a great project that we are planning to do again.

How can you help?

Last year, I volunteered for a day at my son’s kindergarten class. My first task was to replace the “used crayons” with new ones because the children do not like to use crayons with worn down points. I asked to keep the “old” crayons and was told that I could. My second job was to throw away all the pencils with worn down erasers!

That night, my family discussed the waste in Aidan’s classroom. My then-3rd grader, Ailis, suggested that we send the supplies to Ghana since we had recently begun sending donations to the Ayi Owen School. I received the go-ahead from James and Bill, so we boxed up crayons and pencils and sent them off. But Ailis wasn’t done. Without telling me, she wrote a letter to her principal asking to address the school at assembly. Ailis asked her schoolmates and teachers to consider donating their old school supplies to the Ayi Owen School. She made a collection box, included photos of the students in Ghana, and set it up in the school office. Since then, we’ve collected nearly 12 moving boxes full of crayons, markers, pencils, paper, and other school supplies!

Recently, Bill wrote us that the arts program at Ayi Owen is now available to the entire school, not just the two youngest grades. It’s amazing that the waste from just one classroom, in one school, in one state, can support an entire arts program at the Ayi Owen School! The students don’t mind that the crayons aren’t pointy, and if they could buy pencils they wouldn’t have erasers on them anyway. Markers, colored pencils, colored paper, glitter, and most other common arts & crafts supplies aren’t available in Ghana, even if the funds existed. If a few more people collected unwanted supplies from their schools, imagine what Ayi Owen could do!

1. Playing Cards (for math games) (Plastic coated or laminated)

2. Apple-Apple game

3. Candy-land game

4. BALLS: basketball, volleyball

5. Laser pointers (for sample of teachers)

6. Large diameter pencils for Kg pupils

7. Art materials. eg pad of multi-color paper

8. Colored pencils

9. Finger paints

10. Basic bic pens

11. Pens with different color inks… different color exterior.

12. Monster mask (not too scary) and or wigs are useful for the drama group

13. Blue T-shirts for all 27 teachers. A FEW MEDIUM BUT MOST XL.

14. Middle school math sets (sample)

15. Book of math word problems

16. Book of fun math -primary arithmetic

17. Book of math tricks, games

18. DVDs for children’s literature, readers such as:

Beauty and the Beast, Pinocchio, Sleeping Beauty, Lion King, Charlotte’s Web, Ali Baba and the forty Thieves, Some Pig, Titanic, Aladdin, Julius Caesar, Hamlet

29. Scotch 3M duct tape

20. Side Walk chalk.

21. Used trumpet

For the school orphans living at the school: “MOST ARE GIRLS AGED 9-12”

1. Small Mirrors

2. Toothbrushes (soft)

3. Used creams, perfumes

4. Scrabble, Connect 4, Checkers

5. Plastic Jewelry

Thanks to everyone who attended the For One World benefit at Mad River in Philadelphia on January 9th, 2009! The event was very successful and everyone had a lot of fun! 44 people gave donations!  See some pictures of the event below!

Sildeshow

Sildeshow

For One World is having a benefit event at the Mad River in Philadelphia on Friday, January 9th, 2009 from 8:00-10:00pm.  Address is 126 Chestnut Street between 2nd and Front.

Here is how it works:

1. Mention James Mattison at the door
2. Pay a $10 cover charge (50% is a tax deductible charitable contribution to For One World)
3. $1 beer, wine and mixed drinks from 8pm to 10pm