The School Materials Project

School Materials an ongoing Project

Think back to your childhood, specifically getting ready for the first day of school. What was involved? Shopping! For sure, shopping; clothes, new shoes, and school supplies. Do you remember looking at the many choices of pencils, pens, notebooks, fun erasers, scissors, glue... And now try to remember all of the ideas and dreams you had of what wonderful things you would create with those items. Even as a parent or grandparent - there is a thrill about starting back to school. We live in a privileged country that promotes and facilitates such hopes and dreams. Unfortunately, we are the few! That same excitement, hopes, and dreams exist in the minds of children in other countries as well. But, they do not have the option that we enjoy.

Come now to Haiti. You enter the overcrowded classroom with other students who have struggled to just be able to attend. Your parents have sacrificed and saved to give you one pen and maybe a composition book in which to copy what your teacher writes on the board. No exciting, colored consumables. Everything is written on a board and you must copy it. No matter what subject you study you learn by copying information. They need school supplies. Those supplies do not even include the frivolous that we have come to expect. They are thrilled to have the basics; writing utensils, paper, and notebooks. Currently, they only have half of the textbooks that are needed. The packs can be purchased in Haiti and they hope to have one (1) packet for each student.

Argentina is not such a harsh situation BUT they are striving to provide education all the way through college. That requires much more materials. They, too are lacking in funds before they can even begin to pur¬chase materials. They have 4 groups to supply. All groups need the basic; pencil, eraser, glue, scissors, colored pencils and sharpener. As the ages increase, so do the needs to include binders, Geometry kits, maps, graph paper, notebooks, Periodic table, and more paper.

The Philippines is also in need of new books as the government changed the curriculum and they are required to change as well.

All of the Star of Hope school projects are in need of supplies. Not included in the list are uniforms/school clothes and shoes. These are add-ons.

Our education is given to us and requires very little in return. We take it for granted. The children in these countries DO NOT. Their hope for a successful future (apart from the saving grace of Christ) lies in education.

Please consider what you have and what they need. Then decide how you want to address this critical need.