Cultivating Generosity

Riverside Middles School 7th graders in Augusta, Georgia have been cultivating generosity for some time now, expanding their borders of compassion. Mrs. Petty’s students, as shared earlier in Hearts of Hope, raised funds to support our scholarship fund when they heard of how little it takes to help a child stay in school. On our first day here, we ran into Fred, a recipient that had been pleading for support for his older sister after the passing of his mother before Christmas. As we expressed our condolences for his loss, sadness washed over him. We parted ways. We have since seen him several times, in and out of the classroom, and he seems to be doing well. We find him laughing with friends and studying hard. Matilda, his younger sister on the EP campus, also seems to be doing well. We will take both of them this Friday to see their older sister Bernice, about 20 minutes outside of town at her boarding Senior Secondary School. Riverside students’ projects also reflect their kindness. They sent handmade maps of Georgia/Southeast, Ghana/West African region, the United States, Africa and the World. They wanted the teachers and students to have something for their walls, as they observed in some classes how empty and grey they were. They are now filled with educational materials that are colorful and a reminder of the connections to the US. Students and teachers alike love them! They didn’t stop there. In the course of conversations in the fall, they learned what prized possessions their projects can be here as the children don’t often receive such creativity that they can take home as their own. They made small pins, with bright foam, as gifts for their friends. All classes loved making them in return, and proudly placed them on their shirts. We are touched by these classes’ depth of taking in and reflecting more deeply the connections they have made this year with Ghana. Their enthusiasm for the process is also evident in opening friendship circles, which Mrs. Petty reports are used beyond Children Inspiring Hope visits. We see the blossoms of the seeds of kindness you continue to plant and look forward to sharing more with you soon in America.