View the video below to see Kenyan students connecting with their pen pals in America.
Connecting
Everyone’s Child connects students in the United States with students in Kenyan Villages.
Connecting With Students
In 2007, Ruth began a writing program called “Messages of Mercy,” connecting students who attend public and private schools in the United States with students at primary and secondary schools in Kenyan villages. Since then, hundreds of American and Kenyan children have been able to connect with each other simply by writing a letter. Some of these Kenyan children live ordinary lives, others have been orphaned by the ongoing HIV/AIDS epidemic, and still others have been displaced by political and tribal crises.
Their friends in the USA face their own issues as well. All of the children have one thing in common: they want to have a friend on the other side of the world. Messages of Mercy provides a safe way for students on both sides of the globe to share their ambitions and frustrations about everyday life. After introducing this program to students in Vermont, Ruth heard an 8th grade girl exclaim, “My pen pal is just like me! She worries about the same things I do!”
Collaborating With Others
An important goal of Everyone’s Child is to promote education for children through participatory partnerships with local leaders and citizens. While Ruth was conducting her doctoral research in Kenya, she became aware of an important collaboration between the village, the sponsors, the school and the government. This connection among four central groups in Kenya plays a significant role in the education of future generations.
For more information, watch the video below:
For information on how your classroom can write letters to students in Kenya, visit Messages of Mercy.