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Not So Perfect Parent BLOG |
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April 2008
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Most of us have two or three collecting dust in our garages. In our culture, bicycles represent recreation, not transportation. However, for the children of Ghana, Africa the bicycle offers a route to opportunity. A glimpse at a larger world through the lens of education. Martha Leeson, a teacher from Dallas Christian School, served as a missionary to Africa and witnessed many of the challenges facing the children in that region. Chief among them was the inability to gain a proper education largely due the remote areas of the villages. Some of these children had to walk up to 12 miles per day to attend school. But thanks to Martha and her committed students, a bike drive began where American students raised money to ship donated bicycles to these remote regions of Africa so that these kids could ride to school. Lessons are not simply learned by the African children. The effects of seeing and need, taking action and witnessing the impact on the lives of others has been educational for all. Logan and Beverly, both students at Dallas Christian, comment on what they have learned through this experience. “I now realize that it doesn’t take much to make big changes in the lives of others, says Beverly. Logan agrees, “I now realize how easy it is to do something for someone else, and honestly, I know I received something much bigger by helping others than I ever dreamed.” So my question is this – how can we learn from the teacher and the students of Dallas Christian School? What can we take from their acts of kindness and repackage to help another? As parents it is our job to remind our kids that yes, they are special, yes, they are wonderful, but even more importantly, that they are indeed a part of a larger world. It is THEIR JOB to make it better. Louis J. Helle, Jr. once wrote: “Bicycling is the nearest approximation I know to the flight of birds. The airplane simply carries a man on its back like an obedient Pegasus; it gives him no wings of his own.” The students of Dallas Christian have given these students of Ghana, Africa, a set of wings. Let’s see how far they can fly. 2 CommentsLeave a comment |
Paige,
This segment that you did for Africa, couldnt have come at a better time. My daughter Sarah and her 6th grade class are doing projects on Africa, every child will have a different place and my daughter chose Ghana, we have a couple in our sunday school class from Ghana so I printed off this story to put with her project, I had chills and tears, Cheers to Dallas Christian School and their wonderful teacher and her students.
Paige,
Thank you for taking an interest in our Bike Drive! Watching the students at Dallas Christian School take ownership of this project has been nothing short of inspirational. The undertaking began over the summer when Dr. Sheryl Hamilton, Barbara Luster, James Leeson and I traveled to Ateiku, Ghana. We returned to DC and shared the story of Ateiku International Christian School with our students. Many of the students in this small village walk up to 12 miles each day to attend school. We were simply amazed when we learned the lengths so many would go to receive an education. In 19 years of teaching I had never witnessed such hunger for learning. Everything seems to be against these children, but they persist, their eyes are on a goal. We returned with pictures of the children we met and shared our experience with the students at Dallas Christian. That's all it took! Once the DC students learned about the needs in Ateiku the wheels started rolling. Beverly Cawyer came up with the idea for a bike drive; we have now shipped more than 350 new and slightly used bikes to Ateiku! But our students didn't stop with bikes. Logan Brock and her three sisters actually gave up their Christmas so they could help four children their family had "adopted" from the village. Soon our halls were overflowing with school supplies, clothing, medical supplies and much more. But it gets even better! Once the Dallas Christian School administrators saw what their students were doing, they stepped up and donated a school bus to be shipped to the small African village! A school bus! That was the original dream and we ended up with so much more. We learned that it doesn't take much to make great changes in the lives of others. Most of the time we simply don't make the effort. We learned that people will help; they just need to be shown the need. We also learned that the leaders of tomorrow are incredible and they want to make a difference in their world. Dallas Christian School students are involved in mission work throughout the community and the world. As a teacher I'm always looking for a lesson to teach my students but this time it was me that learned a lesson. I realize that it only takes one person to make a difference and what a difference it can be! Thank you for hearing their story.