A Lesson from First Grade

If anyone would ever doubt the impact that a child can make in the world, they'd have to look no farther than the kids in Mrs. Otzelberger-Held’s first grade class at Amy Belle Elementary School.

In partnership with Hearts in Unity, the students at Amy Belle School recently learned about life in Tanzania.

They were captivated by the vivid photos and first-hand stories of the daily struggles faced by children living in third world countries. They saw how the daily lives of the children in Tanzania were different than their own, and yet similar in so many ways.

And in recognizing the great need of the children in Tanzania for even the most basic of items -- food, clothing and education -- a group of 19 amazing first-graders dedicated themselves to a goal of raising enough money to purchase a dairy cow as a way to help feed the orphan and at-risk children in Tanzania.

With the wonderful support and guidance of their teacher Mrs. Otzelberger-Held, they organized both a bake sale and used book sale. Rallying together their fellow students in this mission, not only did they raise $500 to purchase a dairy cow in Tanzania, they also raised an additional $200 which they dedicated to additional Hearts in Unity projects to help feed, clothe and educate the children in the villages of Seela and Mwika.

As we look at these first graders, we see a glimpse into our future. Even at this young age, they are already changing the world. It's amazing!

We could learn a lot from them, if we just take their lead and open our hearts, as they have, to others in need.

They've already shown us that it really is quite simple.

To learn more about helping to feed the children of Tanzania through a donation of a cow, goats or chickens, please visit our website at www.heartsinunity.org