Students ransom slaves half-a-world away

By MAUREEN MCGUINNESS- | Comments: 0 | Leave a comment

In other years, Phil Savrine has given up television, candy, ice cream and gum for Lent. This year, the fourth grader is helping to put an end to slavery.

The student from St. Joseph/St. John's Academy in Rensselaer is not alone in his efforts. The whole school community is participating in a Lenten project that will purchase the freedom of slaves in Sudan. So far, enough money has been raised to purchase the freedom of three slaves.

The school is working with Christian Solidarity International, a human rights group that has been freeing Sudanese slaves for $50 a person. The slaves, many of whom are children, have been kidnapped and put into slavery. To date, the group has freed 1,050 slaves (see The Evangelist, Feb. 4).

Freedom

At St. Joseph/St. John's, the project began in the fourth and fifth grades, known at the school as the fourth-fifth intermediate family. The two grade levels are team-taught by Jack McGurgan and Jennifer Borge.

Mr. McGurgan had seen a news program about fifth graders in Colorado who had begun raising money to free Sudanese slaves. Impressed with their efforts, he thought the project might be a good one for his class, especially because they were studying the Civil War and slavery in America.

Mr. McGurgan and Mrs. Borge proposed the idea to the students, who came up with ideas on how to raise the funds. For example, students bring in pocket change and soda bottle deposit cans, and have planned book and bake sales as well as a raffle.

"We've told the kids that they are abolitionists," Mrs. Borge said. "They're very excited and feel a part of it."

Wider involvement

The fourth and fifth graders also decided the project should move beyond their classroom. After they made presentations to other classrooms, the project became school-wide.

"They convinced everyone in the school to get involved," Mr. McGurgan said.

Prior to their involvement in this project, Mrs. Borge said the students thought slavery was a thing of the past. "They were amazed it was still going on," she said.

Modern slavery

Alexandria Merges, a fifth grader, was one of the students who had thought slavery was history. "I was surprised and very disappointed," she said of learning slavery is still practiced. "I thought it was over."

Classmate Shamia Dean was anxious to take action upon learning about the Sudanese slaves. "I thought we should do something about it so they could be free and live with their family," she said. "A kid should be able to play, but they have to work for other people."

Phil had similar thoughts on slavery: "It's one of the most cruel lives someone could live. It's very terrible."

Curriculum

This slavery project is more than a social studies lesson for the fourth and fifth graders. The slavery project has crossed the curriculum to become part of language arts, math and religion.

Freeing the slaves also fits in with a project the fourth-fifth intermediate family works on each morning in homeroom. All year long, the students have been trying to create a just society. On a school level, that means learning to work together as a team and respecting one another. Creating a just society has led to a classroom where students can learn.

"Rarely there are fights," Mr. McGurgan said. "There's no name-calling, and the big kids take care of the little ones. The slavery project fits into building a just society."

The teachers aren't surprised by the interest of the students. "In my opinion," Mrs. Borge said, "The kids are concerned about what's going on in the world and want to make a difference."

Grown-up effort

The students aren't letting their ages deter them from tackling the issue of slavery. "Kids can make a whole lot of difference," Shamia said. "We can help other people. Grown-ups can learn from us. We are an example."

Phil echoed that, saying: "Kids do have an ability to help. It's a good thing we're trying to help."

Alexandria said everyone has a responsibility to help. "I want people to know if we all do a little bit, we can free the slaves in Sudan and even stop slavery," she said.

Going home

The students are also raising awareness within their families. When asked by family members what they're giving up for Lent, the students have shared information about freeing the Sudanese slaves. That has inspired families to participate as well.

"Instead of giving up [for Lent], they are sacrificing to take action," Mr. McGurgan said. "They are not just giving up a candy bar."

When Mrs. Borge asked the class what they were doing for Lent, one of the students responded, "We're giving up slavery for Lent."

Pitching in

Word of these efforts has even spread to those who don't have children in the school: A check for $25 was dropped off at the school by a person who heard about the project, and the school custodian volunteered to return soda bottles donated for the project. Such interest by adults has made an impression on the students.

"I'm really excited. I've never had a project like this before," said Shamia. "A whole lot of people are helping us, and I think that's right."

The teachers said that the money they raise will be sent to the fifth grade class in Colorado that inspired these efforts and then forwarded to Christian Solidarity International.

Mrs. Borge is impressed with the efforts of her students so far. "We thought if we could free one slave that would be good," she said. "As a school to free three -- that's amazing."

The students look forward to the day when slavery is truly part of history. "I feel very good to know that three slaves are free," Phil said. "It'll be a fantastic thing if slavery stops."

(03-04-99) [[In-content Ad]]