Another Brick in the Wall
Jarvis builds a school to celebrate 200 years of education
Mr. Gold greets Free the Children founder, Craig Kielburger - Photographer: Tashi Alford-Duguid
In a country ravaged by war and torn apart by economic and political greed, Sierra Leone is in desperate need of the world’s attention. Sierra Leone is a small country on the west coast of Africa that has suffered the atrocities of a brutal, 11-year civil war, during which countrymen were maimed and mutilated. It is a country that has been ripped apart at the seams.
To mark Jarvis’s 200th anniversary, students and staff have decided to build a school in Sierra Leone. The proceeds from fundraisers run by all the teams, clubs and events will go towards constructing the school and providing all the essential necessities.
The entire cost of building the school is $13,000: $6,500 to construct the building and $7,500 for teachers’ salaries, desks and chairs, school kits, furniture, and a bathroom.
“Two hundred years ago, somebody said that children in York [now Toronto] deserved education," says Ms. Finlay, Jarvis social science teacher. "Two hundred years later, it is wonderful for us to commemorate that by building a school in Sierra Leone.” Ms. Finlay and Ms. McDonald, the Curriculum Leader of Business, are co-organizing this project, supported by the staff and students.
After having been listed by the UN as the worst place to live for the 7th consecutive year, Sierra Leone was the place selected to build a school. Ms. Finlay reasons that “there are four countries that Free the Children is currently working in and I chose Sierra Leone because it is the poorest of the poor. Also, no Jarvis student is from Sierra Leone. Therefore, everyone can own the project.”
This project is a combined partnership with Free The Children, the largest network of children helping children through education. Kim Plewes, Life in Action Program Coordinator, visited Jarvis on September 12th, 2006 to talk extensively about the project and the enormous extent to which it will change the lives of countless people in Sierra Leone.
“Building a school in Sierra Leone will not only allow children to return to school, providing them with the opportunity for a better life, but it will also restore a sense of normalcy to their lives," says Plewes. "It will mean that they will have access to a sound and safe school structure. It means that they will have qualified teachers. It means that they have books to learn from and desks to write at. Most importantly, however, it means that they will have something secure in their lives and something to be proud of—and above anything, this is what youth and their communities need in order to start their lives over again.”
Free The Children has worked in Sierra Leone since 2000 to rebuild entire communities by constructing schools and training teachers. Their local partners
are dedicated nuns from around the world who believe in the possibility of a better future for the children of Sierra Leone and who are tirelessly working to make this happen.
Through the efforts of youth across the globe, Sierra Leone is a country where Free The Children runs the Adopt a Village campaign, where students
help poor and marginalized children and families meet their basic human needs. Jarvis is responsible for building the school in Sierra Leone and schools across Toronto will help adopt the village by providing alternative income projects, health care services, clean drinking water and proper sanitation systems.
Families are provided with alternative sources of income, like milking animals (cows and goats) and sewing machines, so that they have a way to support
themselves instead of sending their children to work.
“Health is a major problem in Sierra Leone," says Plewes. "Take, for example, what a country’s government spends per person on health care. In Sierra Leone, the government spends only $6 US per person on healthcare in comparison with Canada, which spends $2,222 per person and the United States at $5,274. Free The Children provides students with health kits containing the basic necessities for hygiene. We also teach health education and sanitation in our schools to educate the students about how to live healthier lives.”
Construction time usually takes between 6-8 months once the donation is sent to Free The Children. Volunteers then fly overseas and work with community members to build the school.
Jarvis will not be able to name the school. Free The Children wants the local community to name the school as a way of instilling ownership. Jarvis will be recognized as a charitable school and a major benefactor on Free The Children’s website.
Jarvis’s Brick-by-Brick campaign has raised over $8,000. “Jarvis’s attitude and enthusiasm towards building this school is just Fantastic! In twenty seven years I have never seen such a generous outpouring. It is great to see the school working together,” says Ms. Finlay.
As a way of celebrating the achievement, Mr. Gold, Jarvis’s principal,
announced a homework-free weekend during the weekend of November 3rd. Teachers canceled all tests and postponed all the assignments that were due the following Monday.
A 24-Hour Famine, stair climb, book sale, and the Fashion Show are just some of the events coming up to raise the remaining money.
JargOnline 2006 - 2007 
