Pen in a Box
Donation protected
The question is, can one pen change the world?
Each year, during locker cleanouts, we see various pens, pencils, and notebooks piled up in our lockers. Here we face two options: to throw them away or to keep them. Most of us throw these things away to have a "fresh start" for the following year. So they are dumped into the big trash bins in the center of the hallway.
We, however, are not aware of the potential of our pens that we so easily throw away. We are not aware that these pens can make a change in someone's life.
Millions of children in the third world are neglected of a positive educational environment. Many factors contribute: the lack of trained teachers, buildings, books, and school supplies. Yes, the pens and notebooks that we so easily throw away are actually in great need by millions of children in third world countries. The reality is that they have nothing to write with and nothing to write on. Even with access to a trained teacher and a building, children without school supplies simply cannot receive positive education.
Now, what is the effect of children being not properly educated? The answer is the continuous cycle of poverty. Indeed, it is through education that the cycle can break, and without education the children have no choice but to inherit their parents' poverty and pass it on to their future children.
We therefore saw two apparent problems: in economically well-off countries exists an apparent waste; in third world countries, however, exists an evident lack. Thus we came up with a simple idea to solve these two problems- send the school supplies to children in need.
Our team raised awareness in our school and received donations of school supplies from the student body during our locker cleanout. We then, with the help of four missionaries, were able to send the gathered pens and pencils to schools in four countries which are located in Nigeria, Kenya, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan.
We started to expand our understanding of this project's possibility. We started to dream of an international movement which involves thousands and thousands of schools gathering school supplies and sending them to children in need. If such a movement truly happens, we believe that we can break the cycle of poverty.
Today, we are branched out to five different schools which currently participate in Pen in a Box. Among them are Downey High School (California), Princeton High School (New Jersey), Catonsville High School (Maryland), Rift Valley Academy (Kenya), and Holy Name (Massachusetts). Every day, our team works diligently for our passion for giving hope of education to children in third world countries by raising awareness in our schools, branching out to more schools, and collecting school supplies.
This project is a big gamble- we either fail or succeed. Yes, we are students who have passion in educating the children and ending the cycle of poverty. Nonetheless, there are practical means to this project- without having the money to send the gathered supplies, there would be no way for our hopes to reach the children in third world countries. We, however, believe that we are not the only ones who care for the students who are neglected of positive education. We believe that there are many who care for these children and are willing to give their hands to them and say that they are not alone. We believe that together, we can make a change.
The lack of positive education in third world countries is an evident problem, and to end the cycle of poverty, we have to take action. Together, we answer, that one pen can change the world.
Your gift wil be used for the following things:
– Shipping the school supplies to children in third world countries
– Maintaining our website
– Purchasing supplies needed for the project
All of our members are volunteers, so 100% of your donations will be purely used for this project.
For more information, visit our website: www.pen-inabox.com
Each year, during locker cleanouts, we see various pens, pencils, and notebooks piled up in our lockers. Here we face two options: to throw them away or to keep them. Most of us throw these things away to have a "fresh start" for the following year. So they are dumped into the big trash bins in the center of the hallway.
We, however, are not aware of the potential of our pens that we so easily throw away. We are not aware that these pens can make a change in someone's life.
Millions of children in the third world are neglected of a positive educational environment. Many factors contribute: the lack of trained teachers, buildings, books, and school supplies. Yes, the pens and notebooks that we so easily throw away are actually in great need by millions of children in third world countries. The reality is that they have nothing to write with and nothing to write on. Even with access to a trained teacher and a building, children without school supplies simply cannot receive positive education.
Now, what is the effect of children being not properly educated? The answer is the continuous cycle of poverty. Indeed, it is through education that the cycle can break, and without education the children have no choice but to inherit their parents' poverty and pass it on to their future children.
We therefore saw two apparent problems: in economically well-off countries exists an apparent waste; in third world countries, however, exists an evident lack. Thus we came up with a simple idea to solve these two problems- send the school supplies to children in need.
Our team raised awareness in our school and received donations of school supplies from the student body during our locker cleanout. We then, with the help of four missionaries, were able to send the gathered pens and pencils to schools in four countries which are located in Nigeria, Kenya, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan.
We started to expand our understanding of this project's possibility. We started to dream of an international movement which involves thousands and thousands of schools gathering school supplies and sending them to children in need. If such a movement truly happens, we believe that we can break the cycle of poverty.
Today, we are branched out to five different schools which currently participate in Pen in a Box. Among them are Downey High School (California), Princeton High School (New Jersey), Catonsville High School (Maryland), Rift Valley Academy (Kenya), and Holy Name (Massachusetts). Every day, our team works diligently for our passion for giving hope of education to children in third world countries by raising awareness in our schools, branching out to more schools, and collecting school supplies.
This project is a big gamble- we either fail or succeed. Yes, we are students who have passion in educating the children and ending the cycle of poverty. Nonetheless, there are practical means to this project- without having the money to send the gathered supplies, there would be no way for our hopes to reach the children in third world countries. We, however, believe that we are not the only ones who care for the students who are neglected of positive education. We believe that there are many who care for these children and are willing to give their hands to them and say that they are not alone. We believe that together, we can make a change.
The lack of positive education in third world countries is an evident problem, and to end the cycle of poverty, we have to take action. Together, we answer, that one pen can change the world.
Your gift wil be used for the following things:
– Shipping the school supplies to children in third world countries
– Maintaining our website
– Purchasing supplies needed for the project
All of our members are volunteers, so 100% of your donations will be purely used for this project.
For more information, visit our website: www.pen-inabox.com
Organizer
Byun David
Organizer
Worcester, MA
