School supplies reach destination, halfway around the world

Last year, Robert Morris Elementary Student Council members spearheaded a collection of school supplies for the Father Oryang Memorial Primary School in Africa.

The effort was inspired by a visit from Moses Owiny, a community worker from Uganda, who came to Batavia as part of a global internship program. The beneficiary school was attended by Owiny as a child.

At the invitation of Diane Bonarigo, principal of the now-closed Robert Morris Elementary School, Owiny met with Robert Morris students and shared stories about his life in Uganda. This helped students understand the vast differences in education as well as in poverty.

Afterward, student council members decided to collect supplies for the rural school that serves approximately 1,300 students. While Robert Morris started the project, student council members at Jackson, John Kennedy, and Batavia Middle School quickly jumped in to lend support to donate items as well as money toward shipping costs.

By the time all the pens, pencils, glue sticks, erasers, rulers, colored pencils, crayons, markers, paper, and tape were collected, students had enough to fill 19 boxes -- 11 of which went to Uganda and eight to a school in the Dominican Republic where elementary music teacher Jeffrey Langdon’s daughter is a teacher.

Students packed the boxes, with help from Barb and Jim Rumsey who also transported everything to the post office.

Students were thrilled to see their bounty arrive in Uganda, courtesy of Facebook pictures posted by Owiny and shared here.