Sixth-graders work to aid world's poor

By Lisa Heyamoto
Seattle Times Eastside bureau

	STEVE RINGMAN / THE SEATTLE TIMES Sixth-graders at the Woodinville Montessori are trying to raise $5,000 for the Heifer project that will buy farm animals for needy families around the world. Front, Kai Agyeman, Elizabeth Menard, Taylor Thomas, Tamara Koledin, Kelly Nichols-Hoppe, Aubrey Bordyn. Top, Benjamin Tu, Chandler Furman, Shankara Pailoor and Nicholas Koorland. They are holding their Heifer poster, nicknamed "Betty," showing the results of their spare-change drive that helped raise over $700.
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No one in the sixth-grade class at Woodinville Montessori expected the cow's horns to grow like they did.

Really, it was only supposed to be a stubby-horned heifer made lovingly with poster board and marker pen, not the Texas Longhorn it turned out to resemble. The cow was the measuring stick to see how much money the group was collecting in its community change drive for needy families. And as the number of coins in the jars went up, those horns went right along with it.

"It's just change, so we didn't think people would donate, like, $50," said Tamara Koledin, 12. "Even the small things can make a difference."

The class ended up raising $732.53, almost $200 more than it expected to glean from the jingling pockets of the community. Once tallied with money from other fund-raising efforts, the class has made a $1,300 dent in its goal to raise $5,000 to feed families across the world.

In the "give a man a fish and he'll be hungry tomorrow" spirit of things, the students are determined to use the money to buy live animals that not only will help feed a hungry family but also ultimately will help that family feed itself.

The project is administered through Heifer International, an Arkansas-based nonprofit organization that focuses on world hunger. For $5,000, the kids can buy an "ark" of animals, with 15 pairs of animals such as cows, chickens, sheep, goats and water buffalo, which fill specific needs of people in different parts of the world. Water buffalo, for example, help Filipino families harvest more rice by harnessing their power.

The sixth-graders learned about the program while studying worldwide poverty and hunger, and a little research turned up what all 10 students agreed sounded like a perfect project.

"Instead of just sending food over there, you send something that you can make your own food with," said Taylor Thomas, 12. "It's been a lot of fun trying to earn money to help people."

A bake sale and walk-a-thon are in the works to raise the remaining money.
 
A project like this weaves many lessons together, teacher Carol Zielke said, and fits into the Montessori philosophy of fostering students' interests and helping them thrive. "It kind of had an energy of its own and grew from there," she said. "It has been good all the way around."

Kelly Nichols-Hoppe, 11, learned to count her blessings; Kai Agyeman, 12, said people learned how to be followers and not just leaders; Aubrey Bordyn, 14, learned about teamwork; and Nicholas Koorland, 12, learned that it feels better to give than to receive.

Even if they don't raise the entire $5,000, they still can use the money to buy what animals they can. Something like this, they said, is as much about the process as it is about the outcome.

"We've shown better respect for each other," said Shankara Pailoor, 12. "We've learned how to speak out, and when you speak out, you can really make a difference."

Lisa Heyamoto: 206-464-2149 or lheyamoto@seattletimes.com

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