Students and staff attending Albion Central Schools have been diligently collecting school supplies for an orphanage in Malawi, Africa.
Tim Archer, Service Learning liaison at Albion Central Schools, helped to bring the donations to an orphanage of 60 children in Malawi as part of a Mission Trip this March. Having left for Malawi Saturday, March 16, Archer is expecting to be joined by Albion High School (AHS) junior and Interact Club member, Leo Bolton, over the District’s Spring Recess.
According to Bolton, he’s been preparing for this trip since he learned about it in December and is excited to see what kind of activities they do to keep busy and games they play.
Sara Koppenhaver, a physical education/ enrichment teacher at Albion Middle School, said Archer presented to her 8th Grade Enrichment class, asking for their assistance in promoting the collection school-wide.
“The orphanage has no electricity, has wood planks for desks/chairs, and chalkboards,” Koppenhaver said. “Tim is looking to try and help bring them some needed supplies and my class decided they wanted to help his efforts.”
Inspired, Koppenhaver’s students presented the service project pitch to Albion Middle School Principal Brad Pritchard and Assistant Principal Mariah LaSpina before being approved to promote and collect the items.
“We [the group] are taking 800 lbs. of supplies to the orphanage/school located in Mzuzu,” Archer said. “We’ll be helping with educational, health, life skills, and grounds work.”
Mzuzu is a city in located in northern Malawi where Archer will also have the opportunity to meet with the local Rotary Club and work with the school staff.
“Each member of the trip is bringing 100 lbs. of things to help the orphanage,” Bolton explained. “My church, Harvest Christian Fellowship, along with Albion Central School, has collected many donations of things that we will be bringing over. Whether it's clothes, school supplies, or things to help with personal hygiene, they have been very helpful in this way.”
In AHS, the money collected in January and February from staff Dress Down Days – days where staff donates in order to wear more casual attire – also was donated to Archer to benefit the orphanage.
“Trips like this are important because they help us realize how lucky we are to live the way that we live, and how important it is to help others,” Bolton said. “It helps keep us humble and grateful, two things that are very important.”
