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SPRING
2013
11
By the end of the holiday, the children had earned a sizable sum and
a samaritan parent, Lana Hakim Nassar made up the difference.
“The children themselves chose this action,” said Diana Kaaki, a
Grade 3 English teacher. “They were shocked to know that other chil-
dren in the country do not have proper bathrooms in their schools.”
It was by pure coincidence that a teacher at IC had been volun-
teering her time to help Momken – an NGO dedicated to bring-
ing university students and public school students to a tutorial
program. When hearing of the Grade 3 project, she sent pictures
of the dilapidated lavatories of a public school which asked to
remain unnamed.
“We want our children to be tolerant and to help others,” said
Lina Kaddoura, a Grade 3 French teacher (CE2). “And this is
the best way to get them involved.”
Since they all couldn’t go and see the bathrooms for themselves,
a delegation of six were chosen to go. True to the pictures sent to
them, the bathrooms
were in horrid condi-
tions. Other than the
stench of the obvi-
ously malfunctioning
lavatories, doors of the
stalls were broken and
taken off the hinges.The
lack of privacy alone has
deterred many students
from using them.
“I just hold it in until
I get home,” said Haidar, a 15-year old middle school student at
the school.
As for the girls’ bathroom, only two or three stalls in the pre-
school section, that are constantly drenched in water – thanks to
malfunctioning pipes - serve the entire female school population
(over 400).
The IC third graders entered hesitantly.The condition and stench
was obviously noted. “This is bad sanitation,” declared one of
them knowingly.The others heartily agreed. “We will help them,”
said another firmly.
Curious school teachers welcomed the IC students as they
toured the school.The visit culminated with a meeting with the
principal of the school (who asked to be unnamed). “I want to
thank you children for doing this for us,” she said. “I appreciate
what you are doing. I also very much appreciate how your school
is instilling in you the spirit of helping others in need. We just
don’t see this spirit anymore.”
The six children returned to IC to inform their eagerly awaiting
classmates of their findings. “The class was shocked when they
saw the pictures,” said Kaddoura. “They asked a lot of questions.
Why this and why that.”
It will take about three months for the new lavatories to be installed.
Once complete, other classmates from Grade 3 will be sent on an-
other fact-finding mission to inspect the school’s new bathrooms.
“We want to show them that even children can make a differ-
ence,” said Kaaki. “We want them to think that: ‘Even though I
am only a child, I can still do something to change the environ-
ment.’ And this is one of the chief messages of the whole project.”