Local kids’ words help those a world away
By Matt Van Tassel
Loudoun Times-Mirror
![Angelo Manger Maker, a Sudanese orphan, speaks at Ashburn Library June 14 about his experiences in Sudan. [Times-Mirror Staff Photo/AJ Maclean]](http://darfurdiaries.org/multimedia/loudountimesmirror.jpg "Angelo Manger Maker, a Sudanese orphan, speaks at Ashburn Library June 14 about his experiences in Sudan. [Times-Mirror Staff Photo/AJ Maclean]")
Angelo Manger Maker, a Sudanese
orphan, speaks at Ashburn Library
June 14 about his experiences in
Sudan. [Times-Mirror Staff Photo/
AJ Maclean]
About 40 10-year-olds lined up behind a podium to read their poems about the genocide in Darfur at Ashburn Library June 14. As their words began to flow, the line ratcheted forward in front of a projector, and the profile of each student’s face was cast upon a screen, upon which read, “A voice of hope for Sudan’s future.”
The silhouettes of the boys and girls were in stark contrast to the savage topic of genocide. The innocent voices that projected words such as “hope,” “fear,” “death” and “courage,” reaffirmed the seemingly contradictory image.
The students were reading their poems, which have been published in a book of poetry, “We Hear You: American Kids’ Reflections on Darfur.” The reading was one of three events the library hosted to inform local citizens about Darfur. The poetry was so compelling it drew the ear of poet Maya Angelou, who wrote the forward for the book.
“The courageous person knows that all children are our children as we belong to the world and the world belongs to us,” Angelou wrote.
Altogether there are 149 poems in the book, one written by each fifth-grader at Mill Run Elementary School in Ashburn.
The students had been learning various forms of poetry and began thinking about Darfur after reading “Number the Stars,” a book by Lois Lowry about the Holocaust.
The language arts teachers at Mill Run – Logan Williams, Rebecca Williams and Ann Rovang-Wolff – asked the kids if they thought something like the Holocaust could happen today.
“The kids said, ‘No, there’s no way this could ever happen in modern times – the reason it happened in the past was because people didn’t know about it,’” Logan Williams said, recounting the students’ answer.
The teachers tactfully told them about how the Sudanese government sponsored militias to raid villages, burn houses and kill innocent people.
“They were absolutely shocked when I told them what was going on in present day,” Williams said.
Several students who were planning to read their poems to the graduating class discussed their thoughts on the book and the situation in Darfur.
“I was surprised it was still going on,” Kyle Albers said, and the group agreed.
Since learning about Darfur, Jordyn Gates said he realized he doesn’t need things such as toys or video games.
Adam Lewis said he hears about crime and poverty in the United States but didn’t know what was happening in other nations. “It doesn’t just happen here,” he said. “Bad stuff happens all over.”
“I found it really hard to imagine,” Emily O’Brien said. “I didn’t know that something like this was happening; I just found it scary.”
The thoughts running through the children’s minds have occurred to many people familiar with the crisis in Darfur. The kids, however, wanted to do something about it and unlike many, they actually did.
“I wanted to do anything I could to help them,” Malik Piersol said. “It’s very upsetting that people don’t have the time to raise money to help build houses and things.”
“They really wanted to do more,” said Williams, who recently was inspired to help Darfurians after reading “Darfur Diaries,” by Aisha Bain, Jen Marlowe and Adam Shapiro.
Williams said, “In ‘Darfur Diaries,’ [the authors] asked one of the little boys, ‘What would you say to American kids if you could tell them anything?’ and the little boy said, ‘If you help us now, then I’ll help you when we’re liberated’ – so I was really moved by a lot of the stories that were in ‘Darfur Diaries.’”
What had started in a few classrooms at the Ashburn school eventually swelled to a school-wide effort.
“The poetry started first and then the kids were the ones that really wanted to raise extra money and get other kids in the school involved,” Logan said.
Large glass jars labeled “Darfur Education Fund” began appearing around the school and were filled up with pocket change and an occasional bill. Williams said the school has raised more than $2,500 through bake sales and the jars.
“The biggest thing to me,” Logan said, “is that even when everything is finished and done with in Darfur – and hopefully it will end soon – some of these kids have missed three years of school and they will have no say in the future government if all these kids are illiterate.”
That is why proceeds from the book will go to the Darfur Peace and Development Organization Darfur Schools Project.
“I really felt that the poetry should be shared with other people,” Logan said. “The kids were so passionate about it that I really wanted their poems to be published. I got some interest from some publishing companies, but I really wanted it published before they left the elementary school.”
The kids’ passion, Logan said, drove her to empty her savings account, start Open Doors Publishing and print the book of poems.
And so, “Number the Stars” prompted discussion, “Darfur Diaries” sparked action, and it is the wish of the authors of “We Hear You: American Kids’ Reflections on Darfur” that their book will spawn something greater still – hope.
Angelo Maker Manger, a Sudanese orphan who also spoke at the Ashburn Library June 14, said, “If the world could see what the kids did today, it would be a major step. Thank you will not be enough to you,” he told the teachers.
“I never cry since I lost my mother, but today, I almost cried.”
For more information on the students’ book, visit opendoorspublishing.com.
