May 15th, 2010

Project South Africa is a service club at Silver Creek High School. Project South Africa has two main goals; to raise awareness about poverty in Africa, and to raise money to help those less fortunate in Africa.

The Club was started seven years ago, when two seniors viewed a film about AIDS in South Africa. They decided to launch a club at Silver Creek High School! The club has been going strong for the past seven years. Students meet every Tuesday at lunch to plan fundraisers or organize educational presentations to give at the middle or high school level.  It is extremely powerful to watch a group of high school students dedicate their time and energy to helping those less fortunate.

Two years ago, a junior, Abby Crissafuli, introduced PSA to the International Peace Initiative. This group is devoted to helping young students in Africa gain an education. The group decided to join with the International Peace Initiative and they selected to support Dominic, a student at the University of Nairobi in Kenya. Dominic lost his Dad at an early age and has been working hard to support his family and go to school. His dream is to become a doctor. PSA raised over two thousand dollars the first year to go towards his college expenses. They also have maintained communication with Dominic. They are face book friends, they email weekly, and they have talked with him on the phone twice.  It has been an extremely powerful relationship!  PSA supported Dominic last year and raised over 1200 dollars to cover a portion of his tuition costs. They sold beaded necklaces and had a school wide coin drive. They put brightly covered coin containers in each classroom that said “DOMINIC!”

Last, Abby was asked by IPI to go to Meru, Kenya and meet Dominic and speak at The Women’s International Grassroots Peace Conference hosted by IPI at Kenya Methodist University in Meru. Abby and Dominic co-hosted a presentation about the relationship between PSA and Dominic.  They spoke to over three hundred attendees from Kenya and various other African countries, including Desmond Tutu’s daughter, Naomi Tutu. Abby had an incredible experience meeting Dominic, speaking at the peace conference, and working with young children at the Amani Community Children’s Home in Meru, Kenya. She returned to Silver Creek High School to share her experiences with the Project South Africa students. She cried as she recounted her experiences and she told the group to stay focused and continue to raise money for Dominic, because it does matter, and because it is changing lives.

The group is re-committed to raising money for Dominic for his third year of medical school. They have already started selling beaded necklaces and raising awareness among the students around them!