EDITOR: The Oakwood Country School in Morgan Hill recently
donated books, uniforms, and clothing to various humanitarian
organizations throughout the world.
EDITOR:
The Oakwood Country School in Morgan Hill recently donated books, uniforms, and clothing to various humanitarian organizations throughout the world.
The books went to 13 primary schools, six colleges and five public libraries and research centers in the Mascarene Islands off the coast of Madagascar. The U.S. Ambassador, John Price, transferred the books in a formal presentation ceremony on Sept. 24. The donations were safeguarded by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, UNESCO and the U.S. Embassy.
The clothing donations were distributed by the Church of Jesus Christ’s Humanitarian Services Organization to a number of impoverished nations.
At the book donation ceremony, Ambassador Price encouraged literacy with the following remarks: “We at the American Embassy, and all your teachers and parents, hope that each and every student in these schools and libraries will open one of these books and find a dream. And if that happens, I know that those dreams will eventually become a reality for every child’s future.
“Nothing will happen if you don’t read. Believe me, books can help every child attain what he or she wants to achieve. So make sure that you allow books to plant great ideas in your head, then work hard, get good grades, and set your goals as high as possible.”
The Oakwood Country School’s generous donation was timely as earlier this year, UNESCO – the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization – named the years 2003-12 the Decade of Literacy.
America’s First Lady, Mrs. Laura Bush, serves as honorary chairman. In her remarks at UNESCO, Mrs. Bush said that reading, or owning a book, is a pre-condition to education, and that education is a pre-condition to the development of nations. Literacy, she said, means freedom, power and opportunity, and is a moral responsibility that every nation must accept.
Grace Lethebe of Morgan Hill organized and facilitated the transfer of books and clothing to the humanitarian agencies.
Jared Suzuki, Morgan Hil
