For the fifth year in a row students at Benjamin Rush Middle School donated their efforts, talents and some cold hard cash (more than $600) to make life a little better for a student half a world away in Ethiopia.
For the past four years seventh-grade students have come up with a variety of creative fund raising ideas. The money raised was forwarded to the Compassion International group which, in turn, used it to help Regan Tekalign. The 11-year-old Ethiopian student resides with his aunt and has a variety of tasks that his American counterparts have never undertaken.
Tekalign lives in a rural area which has no running water. He is responsible for carrying water, running errands, and much of the necessary cleaning where he lives, in addition to maintaining his school studies.
When free time is found Tekalign enjoys many of the other things more familiar to American students his own age, including soccer and volleyball.
According to faculty adviser and social studies teacher Kent Wise, the educational system in Ethiopia is nowhere near that of what Rushville students experience and Tekalign’s school studies are as different as the life he leads.
During the 2004-2005 school year, 11 BRMS students were on a special committee that directed the campaign to generate funds for Tekalign.
Aside from a desire to be on the committee, the local junior high students involved had to write an essay describing why they should be selected to be a part of the program.
This year, Kaleigh Andrews, Paige Bone, Elizabeth Wilmer, Tiffany Hammond, Donnathan Buckley, Danniella Banks, Sammy Maple, Breanne Parker, Sierra Bennett, Emily Wilson and Collin Hillen were selected.
Rushville Republican
To LEARN more, CHECK out Ethiopia: A Country Education Profile
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