I probably get the most excited, though, when kids help kids, and that is precisely what has happened because of Team 3 member, Sara.
Sara is a junior at Colgate University in upstate New York. She was raised in Kansas City and was strongly influenced by her parents and grandparents, all of whom have been actively involved in community service. Sara made the trip to Uganda with CTT last year; she was deeply moved by what she saw there and by the children she befriended.
I knew Sara was the type of young woman who would continue to think about the children at the orphanage and who would find a way to help them even after she returned to her life in the U.S. She didn’t let me down. Sara has championed these children all year long.
Recently, Sara was responsible for insuring that Change the Truth become the recipient of funds raised by Colgate College’s service organization, “Students for Students.” More specifically, Sara and her group decided they wanted to raise funds for Daniel, CTT’s first sponsored University student. He began his studies at Makerere University in Kampala last term and plans to pursue a Bachelor of Science in Marketing. It will be an expensive proposition to sponsor him for all four years. “Students for Students” pledged to donate all proceeds from their annual fundraiser to help pay Daniel’s University fees.
An email I just received from Sara included this great news: “So far ‘Students for Students’ has been very successful in raising money for Daniel's tuition. From our a Cappella concert fundraiser and selling Change the Truth store items and our t-shirts we raised $1,212. At that concert, several campus a Cappella groups performed, as well as a Professor Band. We also held a raffle where various items were donated, such as gift certificates to local restaurants and stores and signed athletic gear. The event was our group's most successful event so far, with the greatest turnout we have ever had! Also, last night there was another event, where a fairly well know electronic band, Hyper Crush, performed. All the proceeds from this concert are also going to ‘Students for Students’ for Change the Truth. I haven't received that total of how much money it generated, but hopefully it was also successful! I should have that total sometime early next week! Our group's advertisement committee made two really great posters for the first concert. Here they are.”
(That's Sara wearing her Colgate t-shirt. The photo was taken when she was at the orphanage in 2009.)I can’t wait to give Daniel this wonderful report. Sara gave me one of the cool t-shirts “Students for Students” printed and sold at the concert; I’m to present it to Daniel when I get to Uganda. How overwhelmed this quiet, studious, polite, sweet and mild mannered young man will feel when he realizes that hundreds of American college students – kids his own age – dug into their pockets to make sure he has a shot at getting an education, just as they are.
It makes me proud to know Sara, It makes me proud of “Students for Students.” It makes me happy for Daniel.
It gives me great hope.
Kids helping kids. That’s the best.
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