A group of about 15 students of the Canora Composite School are watching their spare change while contrasting the many advantages they have living in Canada with living conditions for a student in Ghana.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Three years ago a group of Grade 7 students at CCS made a class decision to sponsor a child as a result of their A Better World curriculum unit in English language arts.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Those students are now in Grade 10 and have continued to pool their own money, along with funds from their former teacher Simone Achmus, who is now the literacy coach for Good Spirit School Division.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The money has been going to support Abdul-Lamin in Ghana on a monthly basis, Achmus said last week.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淭he students developed a goal of supporting Abdul until the end of graduation and they are halfway there,鈥� Achmus said. 鈥淚 believe that these students deserve recognition for practicing compassion for someone who does not have the opportunity and privilege to live with all the comforts that we have in Canora.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淭hese students have demonstrated high character qualities by opening their hearts beyond themselves and for having a growth mindset: learning about and appreciating another human being who is similar in age, living differently than them, from another part of the world.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 About $40 a month has been sent to Ghana over the past three years, she said, adding that in December, Shann Landstad, one of the parents of a Grade 10 student, helped the students to organize a fruit drive to help raise money for the monthly contribution payments.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 The students have offered 鈥渁 huge thank you to Shann and the many people who supported this initiative in our community,鈥� she said. 鈥淓xtra money will be donated to Abdul and his family this Easter to further support the expense of his schooling.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Quoting the Dalai Lama, Achmus said: 鈥淟ove and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them, humanity cannot survive.鈥�
