Fire Prairie students help Afghanistan, one penny at a time

 One penny buys one pencil in countries such as Afghanistan. Two pennies buy an eraser. For only $20, one child’s school supplies can be purchased for an entire year.

And what does $600 buy – a teacher’s salary for one year.

“The things we take for granted are the things that they do not have, but want,” said Jenna Frasier, a sixth grader at Fire Prairie Middle School. “We want to help them because it feels good. It is also the right thing to do.”

Team 6-3 at the Fort Osage middle school has joined thousands of other children throughout the world to help improvised areas of Afghanistan and Pakistan through the Pennies for Peace campaign. Inspired by the book, “Three Cups of Tea” by Greg Mortenson, the goal of Pennies for Peace is to raise money to help children to read, write and learn.

“Some kids have to do their math assignments in the dirt. They write the multiplication problems in the ground with sticks,” said sixth grader Brennan Garrett. “One penny that we donate can buy them a pencil. Even more can buy them a notebook. They can then learn just like we do.”

“Three Cups of Tea” is about Mortenson’s attempt to climb Mount Kilimanjaro. When he became sick, he found help in the tiny Pakistani village of Korphe. As a way to repay the village, he made a promise to build a school, which lead to the formation of the Central Asia Institute. Pennies for Peace came out of the institute with the goal to make a positive impact one penny at a time.

Since Team 6-3 started the Pennies for Peace campaign two weeks ago, the 98 students and five teachers on the team have collected almost $200. The penny drive continues until Dec. 18.

Brandi Gump, a teacher on Team 6-3, said the idea for the collection effort came after all of the students read “Three Cups of Tea” in their communication arts class.

“I had read the book over the summer and felt that it really fit in with our literacy theme this year, which is courage,” she said. “I am really shocked though, how successful it has been in just a short amount of time. We wanted to help the kids understand that not everyone has the same advantages that they do, and it has really just taken off.”

Sixth grader Michelle Harrison said she is excited that so many of her fellow classmates are embracing the collection, which will buy much needed school supplies for other children.

“Some people don’t have pens or pencils like we do. Some don’t even have schools,” she said. “It is amazing that we, as kids, can help someone else in this way.”

Sixth grader Aspen O’Neal said she feels good that her pennies can make a huge impact.

“I never really thought that anyone lived like that. When I read the book, I was shocked,” she said. “I hope by the end of the collection drive, we raise a lot more. It means so much to them and that is what I feel so good about.”

For more information on the Pennies for Peace campaign, visit the Web site at www.penniesforpeace.org.