Students collect coins for children in Uganda

    


Students in Ellen Wolford’s fifth grade class at State Street School are spearheading a schoolwide coin collection in an effort to help children in rural Uganda.

The educational needs of the Ugandan children became personal for the local students through the experiences of Wolford’s son, Matthew Wolford, a 2012 Skaneateles graduate who is living in a rural village and working at a medical clinic.

Recently, Wolford’s students went to other classrooms at State Street School to share a PowerPoint that tells the story of how children in Matthew Wolford’s village cannot take school for granted. They are often without supplies or the opportunity to attend school.

Wolford graduated from Union College in 2016 and received a Minerva Fellowship allowing him to live and work in the rural village for nine months.
 State Street School students will collect coins to donate to the Engeye Scholars program which oversees the medical clinic and sponsors the education of local children.  “Matthew helped create a scholar library from an old bunkhouse that was there on the clinic grounds,” Ellen Wolford said.

A flyer home to parents says this: “Check your couches, dig in your pockets!”
It explains that Tuesday is penny day, Wednesday is nickel day, Thursday is dime day and Friday is quarter day.   “We will obviously accept bills too!”