"Don't be afraid of the space between your dreams and reality. If you can dream it, you can make it so."
Belva Davis
The Spark: A dream is the beginning of a feasible Reality
It was mid-April, 2007 and I was just under 3 months away from graduating E. O. Smith High School. The school had lost power, and everyone was sent home mid-day. Walking down the dark corridors of the hallways, packed and ready to go home, I came to the main lobby which was lit only by what little light crept in through the main doors. In a dark corner sat my friends Kaylee, Christee, Gregg, Ryan, and our English teacher 'Waz'.
I joined them and sat down on the cold tile. All of us had just gone through an intense and emotional unit on the Holocaust through our senior English class by the teachings of Nicole Waicunas (Waz). We felt helpless and overwhelmed, but knew that something had to be done.
At the Geneva Convention in 1949, the world agreed to protect people in times of armed conflict who are not, or no longer taking part in the hostilities. Looking at our world today, specifically into the genocide in Sudan and the civil war in Uganda, we have failed. My friends and I decided that it was our social responsibility to attack the issues around ignorance and we chose to raise awareness about Darfur.
For the next two months we worked tirelessly, ensuring that we visited every single classroom and that every student within the walls of our school were educated on the conflict in Darfur. But, it didn't end there. Our advocacy needed to be followed up with action.
On June 9th, 2007 we held a benefit event called Ending Genocide Around the World. We had two stages with performances all day featuring students, Boston's StilRize, and even The Monkees own Peter Tork. There was a silent auction, a showing of Invisible Children's Rough Cut, food, booths with sales, a Holocaust survivor panel, and an unbelievable closing ceremony. During the ceremony we heard from Holocaust survivor Susan Greenwald, African story teller Professor Mama, Sudanese native Jon Amol, and viewed the premiere of a film. The event ended with an emotional candlelight vigil, and a total of $21,000 raised over the course of 9 hours. The impact that we had made left me stunned and forever changed. I was amazed, and exhausted. I woke up the next morning, and felt more fulfilled than I ever had in my life. I realized that by working selflessly, there is much to gain.
The work involved with humanitarian action has since become the center point and focus of my life. East Africa specifically holds a place in my heart. What better way to spend your life enlightened by the work that you do, and the people that you meet. I will spend the rest of my life traveling this unmarked path.
I joined them and sat down on the cold tile. All of us had just gone through an intense and emotional unit on the Holocaust through our senior English class by the teachings of Nicole Waicunas (Waz). We felt helpless and overwhelmed, but knew that something had to be done.
At the Geneva Convention in 1949, the world agreed to protect people in times of armed conflict who are not, or no longer taking part in the hostilities. Looking at our world today, specifically into the genocide in Sudan and the civil war in Uganda, we have failed. My friends and I decided that it was our social responsibility to attack the issues around ignorance and we chose to raise awareness about Darfur.
For the next two months we worked tirelessly, ensuring that we visited every single classroom and that every student within the walls of our school were educated on the conflict in Darfur. But, it didn't end there. Our advocacy needed to be followed up with action.
On June 9th, 2007 we held a benefit event called Ending Genocide Around the World. We had two stages with performances all day featuring students, Boston's StilRize, and even The Monkees own Peter Tork. There was a silent auction, a showing of Invisible Children's Rough Cut, food, booths with sales, a Holocaust survivor panel, and an unbelievable closing ceremony. During the ceremony we heard from Holocaust survivor Susan Greenwald, African story teller Professor Mama, Sudanese native Jon Amol, and viewed the premiere of a film. The event ended with an emotional candlelight vigil, and a total of $21,000 raised over the course of 9 hours. The impact that we had made left me stunned and forever changed. I was amazed, and exhausted. I woke up the next morning, and felt more fulfilled than I ever had in my life. I realized that by working selflessly, there is much to gain.
The work involved with humanitarian action has since become the center point and focus of my life. East Africa specifically holds a place in my heart. What better way to spend your life enlightened by the work that you do, and the people that you meet. I will spend the rest of my life traveling this unmarked path.
Closing of the candlelight vigil (Kaylee left)
Ending Genocide Around the World; June 2007
