Honoring Kids Worldwide

July 21, 2005

By Marion Swan

In celebration of the 2005 National Kids Day, Girl Scouts of the USA salutes girls from southeastern Massachusetts for making an impact on other children in the world through their service to Teachers without Borders. We also salute Girl Scouts everywhere who recognize they are part of the larger world community and are committed to making the world a better place.

Established in 2001 and held annually on the first Sunday in August, National Kids Day is a day set aside to celebrate and honor America's children by spending meaningful time with them, to develop their positive self-image and a sense of belonging, usefulness and purpose.

From Massachusetts to Nigeria, with Love

Have you heard about Teachers Without Borders (TWB)? The Girl Scouts have!
Forced to escape a village destroyed by ethnic hatred, 900 Nigerian children and their families have settled in a displaced persons' camp that offers scarce food, little medical care and no school. Enter Girl Scouts of Southeastern Massachusetts. What started as a simple email offering help resulted in the awesome responsibility of outfitting a school that TWB is building in Calabar, Nigeria.

Nearly 2,000 Girl Scouts have spent the last year collecting basic school supplies as well as putting together such items as books on tape, alphabet books, educational games, and even scrapbooks about their own hometowns. DHL Worldwide awarded Teachers Without Borders a grant to defray the shipping cost of all items.

'I Can't Believe It! The Kids In Nigeria Are Just Like Us!'

This project did not end with the collection and shipment of goods. English is the official language of Nigeria, so some of the Girl Scouts were actually able to speak with these children. The American girls were struck with how much they had in common, yet they learned firsthand about some heartbreaking facts of life. When they asked the Nigerian children if they were ever hungry, the response was, "We're always hungry!"

Sending the Gift of Education to Nigeria and Afghanistan

Seventy-five Girl Scouts spent a Sunday in May categorizing, boxing, and preparing thousands of items for shipment. This community service project was so successful items were also shipped to refugees in Afghanistan. In all, there were 249 boxes for Nigeria and 78 for Afghanistan. As of July, the goods for Nigeria are still in the shipping process, but the boxes have arrived in Afghanistan. A note from Mustafa Sahibzada of Teachers Without Borders' Afghanistan chapter expresses the impact of the yearlong effort.

"I picked up 78 boxes from DHL of school and art supplies from the Girl Scouts. We will translate the wonderful letters into Farsi/Dari for the schoolchildren of Afghanistan to read and enjoy. The contents will be distributed to: (1) A school that participated in a cultural exchange program with Teachers Without Borders (2) TWB's refugee-camp school (3) an English-language center (4) The Mini Mobile Circus for Children, Vasila's wonderful after-school program. DHL has made a huge difference to closing the education divide and providing hope for the children of Afghanistan. We are forever grateful. I will take pictures of the supplies and the children receiving them. I cannot thank you enough for your good will and your generosity."

Sincerely,
Mustafa Sahibzada
(Reprinted with permission of Teachers Without Borders – Afghanistan)

To learn how Girl Scouts are making the world a better place, and how you can be a part of it, contact your local Girl Scout council or call (800) GSUSA 4 U.