Skip to main content

Leymah Gbowee, Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, Gives Chapel Talk

On Tuesday, Saint David's fifth and sixth graders had the honor of attending a Chapel talk given by Nobel Prize winning Liberian peace activist Leymah Gbowee. Ms. Gbowee received the Nobel Peace Prize in 2011 for leading Women of Liberia Mass Action for Peace, a coalition of Muslim and Christian women who helped to end the second Liberian Civil War in 2003.  She is the founder of Gbowee Peace Foundation Africa, which is based in Monrovia and provides educational and leadership opportunities for women and youth.

This spring as they prepared for Confirmation, our sixth graders elected to raise money for the Gbowee Peace Foundation's book bag initiative. The program provides backpacks and money for school uniforms and school supplies to high achieving Liberian children in need.

The boys calculated how much money would be required to purchase a backpack and fill it with the requested school supplies. Based on the money they raised through a bake sale, they figured out how many filled backpacks they could donate. With the assistance of their teachers Emily Einhorn and Joe Shapiro, the boys ordered the bags and school supplies. During religion class next week, they will pack the bags and ship them to Liberia, along with notes for the students. The boys raised enough money to purchase 48 bags and contribute $1000 for uniforms.

During Chapel, Ms. Gbowee thanked our boys for their efforts and told them that the students who receive the backpacks would be encouraged to write back and send pictures to the boys.

Ms. Gbowee imparted important messages to our boys: a woman of strong faith, she spoke of how she gives back to God through her work, and shared with them her love for her country and its strong community bonds. Of her foundation's work, she noted that the biggest challenge lies in trying to meet the educational needs of the students, which frequently also include food and lodging: "Young people suffering because their basic needs are not met is a real challenge; we are trying to take care of the holistic needs of these students."

The boys asked her several probing questions, including whether she would have changed anything in her life, in particular the hardships she endured. Her response was, "Absolutely nothing. As you go through life you will fall down and bruise your knee; you have to stand up." She defined a strong person as one who, when going through times of trial, of weakness, is able to save himself.

The Chapel concluded in typical African tradition, with a bit of storytelling that contains a nugget of wisdom about the boys' power over their future; a clip is featured below. 

Our boys look forward to corresponding with the fellow students who receive the backpacks. The opportunity to interact with Ms. Gbowee after learning about her activism and foundation's good work enable the boys to attach deeper meaning to their service project. In the end, doing good is all about forging ties among people near and far. Connections to others who, like Ms. Gbowee are agents for good in this world, provide a powerful, lasting impact.



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

NE Patriot Tom Brady at Saint David’s

Last night, Saint David’s was honored to have one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time, four time Superbowl champion and three-time MVP winner Tom Brady, as the guest speaker for our Alumni Parents Council Lecture Series. Tom, who is the father of one of our Saint David's boys, addressed a standing-room-only audience in Hyman Hall comprised of our eighth graders, alumni, alumni parents and faculty. Friendly, introspective, witty, and wise, he directed his talk to the delighted eighth graders in the front of the room, and focused on the topic of leadership. “You are the young men and leaders of Saint David’s,” he noted. Tom debunked the perception that leaders are born not made, and credited his leadership abilities to “standing up to and facing fears” and to “cultivating a mental strength,” which he cited as “more important than being physically strong.” He also stressed the importance of working hard, honoring teamwork, believing in oneself and being a good lis
Post a Comment
Read more

Surf's Up for Horizons at Saint David's

Little can top catching a wave to beat the heat on an exceptionally hot summer's day. Yesterday, as the temperatures soared into the nineties, the Horizons at Saint David's Eighth Grade class traveled to Rockaway Beach with their teachers for surf lessons with New York's premiere surf school, Locals Surf School. The boys have been taking swimming lessons through our program since their first summer with us in 2012.  At that time, they were were rising first graders, and our inaugural cohort of Horizons students. Yesterday, they were ready to go, and, as these pictures show, they had a blast while learning a new skill. This is the eighth year of Horizons at Saint David's, a six-week multi-faceted academic and cultural summer experience whose mission is to prevent summer slide in elementary school boys from low-income families. We began the program in conjunction with Saint David's 60th anniversary in 2011, as one way that Saint David's as an ins
Post a Comment
Read more

"Lord of the Flies" Survival Game

Seventh graders are immersed in an "island survival" adventure related to their study of William Golding's 1954 classic Lord of the Flies . The novel tells the story of a group of school-age boys marooned on an uninhabited island, where they struggle to survive without a government or rules. In this creative, unique activity that spans 10 class sessions, our boys are assigned to belong to one of two "tribes." Using knowledge gained from history classes in the fall, they first determine what type of government system to adopt. During the simulations, they strategize methods to overcome obstacles and acquire resources such as wood, food, shelter, and water. The simulation requires the boys to negotiate, debate, and reflect critically on their decisions as they face challenges to their survival. In journals, they regularly write about their thinking, their decisions and consequences. Writing skills are further developed and honed. In addition to analy
Post a Comment
Read more