Minnechaug students host drive to benefit 'Invisible Children'

Date: 11/10/2009

By Courtney Llewellyn

Reminder Assistant Editor



WILBRAHAM -- According to the Invisible Children Uganda Web site, 23 years of war have devastated the standard of education in northern Uganda. This fact touched the hearts of students at Minnechaug Regional High School, who haven't even been on this planet for 23 years.

"Last year, we had some students attend a workshop where they saw a presentation on the Invisible Children organization and how schools can get involved and make a difference," teacher Jessica Noonan explained.

Three young filmmakers established Invisible Children and use the power of media to inspire other young people to help end the longest running war in Africa. Hundreds of thousands of people have been called to action in East Africa through their films.

"After [the school] showed the video I realized we can do a lot," Melinda Kline, a sophomore at Minnechaug, stated. "The video is life-changing. I don't take anything for granted now."

She and a dedicated group of others are currently hosting a book drive to benefit Invisible Children's program Schools for Schools.

The goal of Schools for Schools is to help rebuild the standards of secondary education in war-ravaged Uganda to give young adults more chances to succeed. Schools around the world are gathering donated books to be resold to benefit the rebuilding of schools in Uganda. Minnechaug is the only high school in the area participating.

"This is about raising awareness in Africa, particularly Uganda, for children who don't have education because they have nothing," Noonan said. "Education helps break the cycle. This program funds teachers, supplies and resources."

Last year, in its first year, Minnechaug gathered 5,000 books for Schools for Schools. This year, the group hopes to gather 10,000.

"It's a good cause," junior Katie Ross said. "There's not a lot like this in the school."

To help boost numbers this year, the project is reaching outside the halls of Minnechaug. Boxes to collect books will be placed at the Hampden Library, the Wilbraham Library, the Sixteen Acres Library, Wilbraham Middle School, the Scantic Valley YMCA, the Village Store in Wilbraham and the Student Prince and the Fort in Springfield.

"That gets the whole community involved," Ross commented. "Once we leave [the school], they can [help] continue it."

"It's one school working to help another school," Noonan said. "It's students supporting other students."

The most valuable books to donate for the cause are current edition college textbooks and recent fiction and non-fiction books less than two years old. Gently used popular fiction and non-fiction, college textbooks less than five years old, mass market paperbacks and hardcover fiction books less than 10 years old are also helpful. High school and grade school textbooks, encyclopedias and books that are overstocked or out of date cannot be accepted.

The group gathering books is also designing a T-shirt to bolster support for the drive.

"We've already collected more than 1,000 books," Noonan noted. "We're just getting started."

Noonan added that any local business or individual willing to help out the cause should e-mail her at jnoonan@hwrsd.org. Both book and monetary donations will be gladly accepted.

Minnechaug's Schools for Schools will be collecting books through Jan. 15, 2010.

For more information on Invisible Children and its Schools for Schools program, visit http://s4s.invisiblechildren.com.