HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Citizen, 2005-12-08, Page 6PAGE 6. THE CITIZEN, THURSDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2005.
Locals play Santa to Zambian orphans
~ On computer screens
across Huron County and in
university dorm rooms across
the country, a quiet miracle is
taking place.
Residents of the area and
Alumni of Central Huron
Secondary School, Clinton,
are busy playing Santa to
children half a world away.
Through the assistance of
and music, Bokhout appeals
to all to consider supporting
the children by sponsoring
orphans in Zambia.
Stephen Oliver, a teacher at
CHSS, money is being raised
to support the education of 90
them to attend Grade 1
For family
Barb Fritz of Brussels holds one of the
calendars, featuring residents of Huronia
Regional Centre and their families, that are
being sold to raise funds in support of the fight
to keep the centre from closing. (Bonnie Gropp photo)
Calendar to
A month ago, Jessica
Bokhout, a student intern
with CARE, Zambia,
prepared a DVD to mail to
friends and family back
home. This DVD shows the
poignant faces of AIDS
orphans who attend the
Kondwa Day Centre in
Lusaka, Zambia.
Through words, pictures.
While education is free in
Zambia, the students must
provide books, school
supplies and a uniform.
For the paltry sum of $70,a
child may receive one year of
schooling in southern Africa.
The same amount of money
that many spend monthly in
local coffee shops, or use to
purchase “stocking stuffers”
is a princely sum to the
orphans of this impoverished
country. While their
caregivers,
grandparents,
provide the
mostly
struggle to
basics for
survival, money for the
luxury of education remains a
dream.
When these little children
are registered in school in
January, 90 more children
will be able to take their
places at a day program,
supported by CARE. Here the
pre-schoolers receive meals,
loving care and nurturing
while their guardians are
freed up to look after other
children or nurse their dying
families.
By sponsoring the orphans
of the Kondwa Centre, double
the number of children will
benefit, and their weary
grandparents will be freed up
to work or deal with other
responsibilities.
In less than a week, the
amount of support from the
CHSS website has climbed to
more than $2,000. Wonderful
notes of encouragement
accompany the pledges,
attesting to the kindness of
the Heart of Huron. Love and
hugs are sent to Kondwa,
praise for Bokhout’s initiative
and warm wishes for the little
scholars as they begin their
journey of learning and
growing, are all documented
for us to read.
Oliver appeals to the reader
to consider that this project
will be effective because the
money will all go directly to
the children. There will be no
middle man and Bokhout will
be able to report back.
Oliver writes that while this
“is a drop in the bucket given
the enormous scale of the
African Aids pandemic, ... it
does provide us with a small
opportunity to act responsibly
as individuals and as
compassionate human beings
even while our governments
seem content to only mouth
platitudes and remain mired
in partisan politics”
Others are jumping onto
Santa’s sleigh as well.
Members of Ontario Street
and Wesley Willis United
Churches in Clinton are well
aware of Bokhout’s schemes
and dreams. They acted as a
gathering point for a similar
project two years ago when
Bokhout, along with her sister
Stephanie, journeyed to the
TLC Orphanage near
Johannesburg, South Africa.
At that time the girls travelled
with six bulging suitcases and
eight thousand dollars for the
abandoned babies they cared
for for five months. Infants
and toddlers in handknit
sweaters and cozy flannel
jammies, enjoyed the
generosity of Huron County
folks at that time.
A car was purchased with
Canadian funds to take the
babies to vital medical
appointments. The church
members are rallying again,
many planning to give their
support in memory of a great
teacher, or to honour a loved
one.
Jessica is overwhelmed by
the response from the
computers and grapevines of
the county. She writes that the
Kondwa Centre staff are
overjoyed and send their love
and thanks to Canada.
She can hardly contain her
excitement, and has been out
to see the children twice in
the last week, once to pass on
the good news, and a second
time to visit with the
grandparents. The news of
empty fields and empty
bellies is sobering, but the
Kelly urges county
to review insurance
By Bonnie Gropp
Citizen editor
The bottom line was on the
mind of at least two county
councillors as they addressed
council during the Nov. 30
meeting.
Dorothy Kelly, the
councillor for Morris-
Tumberry, felt it was time to
review the county insurance
and wondered whether it
would be possible to raise the
deductible on the employees’
coverage and go to private
rather than semi-private. “I
know that you have unions to
deal with, but this is what our
council is considering.”
“I think we have to look at
some of this,” said Kelly. “It’s
going sky high. I think it’s
over $320 an employee now.”
Chief administrative officer
Larry Adams'said that they
promise of a future for these
little ones puts a smile on
everyone’s face.
If you are interested in
learning more about this
project, you can look up the
CHSS website at
www.oliver.typepad.com/chs
s/ Here you can view
Bokhout’s video and learn
more about the generosity of
your friends and neighbours.
Other websites of interest
are www.care.ca and
www.kondwa.org
Bokhout’s family may be
reached at 519-523-9734 for
information on how to donate
to the education project.
are currently reviewing the
package. “We do have unions
to deal with but there are
areas we are looking at to
save costs.”
Ashfield-Colborne-
Wawanosh councillor Neil
Rintoul’s request was
broader, based on the view
that the well is running
dry.
Rintoul said he had never in
his years of municipal politics
received so many calls about
an issue as he has about rising
taxes. “I guess I’m hearing
from people who are not
getting what they want for
their commodities and taxes
keep going up. People just
can’t pay anymore.”
“I’m asking council to
really consider this when we
start getting into the budget
and do our best to keep things
as low as we can.”
help in
By Bonnie Gropp
Citizen editor
A Brussels woman has
become a calendar girl for a
cause very close to her heart.
Since October 2004, Barb
Fritz has been mvolved with
the Huronia Helpers, a group
of concerned family members
fighting to save Huronia
Regional Centre from closure.
Fritz’s sister, Shirley Turnbull
has been a resident there for
50 years.
Fighting the province is a
costly battle and the
calendars, which feature
black and white photos of
residents and their families,
are only one of the
fundraising initiatives. “There
has been a fashion show, a
golf event, and a luncheon at
Letter to the editor
Walk, Jan. 28
THE EDITOR,
The Alzheimer Society of
Huron County would like to
announce that pledge sheets
are now available for our 11th
annual Indoor Manulife Walk
lor Memories being held Jan.
28 in Wingham, Clinton,
Seaforth, Exeter and
Goderich.
Participating is a wonderful
way to get some exercise
while supporting a great
fight
a Greek church that raised
$5,000 towards our fight,”
said Fritz.
Originally 1,000 calendars
were printed. These went so
quickly that another 500 have
been done.
The cost is $10 and all the
money goes directly towards
the campaign to keep Huronia
Regional Centre open.
Fritz said that this month,
the lawyer for the group will
be in court represening three
families of residents
scheduled to be moved out of
the Centre by March. “We just
want them to understand that
you don’t re-arrange people’s
lives. Grandfather the system,
if you have to, downsize and
use the rooms for something
else. But you don’t take them
out of the home they’ve
known for 50 years.”
cause. You may also wish to
register, or make a pledge
online at
www.walkformemories.ca
Please call 482-1482 or 1-
800-561-5012 for a pledge
sheet or for more information
on how you can get involved.
Sincerely,
Theresa Wilson
Events Co-ordinator
Alzheimer Society of Huron
County.
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55j Ontario