High School Class of 1954 Funds ESL Books For Darfur Refugees

"In legacy of our high school that fostered learning and success," alumni of Crispus Attucks High School in Indianapolis, Indiana have donated $300 to the Book Wish Foundation's reading relief project in eastern Chad, completing the funding for a second shipment of ESL books for Darfur refugees learning English.

Under the leadership of Class President Kenneth D. Adams, Jr., the Crispus Attucks High School Alumni Class of 1954 identified the Book Wish project as an "opportunity to be of service."

The Class has a history of supporting charitable projects in Africa, and we are tremendously grateful for their help, which comes at a perfect time. With the new school year approaching in the camps, and the rainy season coming to an end, we have been hoping to send another shipment of Headway ESL books, like our first, in October. The Class' generosity will turn this hope into a reality.

Funding Headway ESL books is indeed an opportunity to be of service. It is a chance to directly aid refugees from Darfur, who view learning English as a "road to freedom." In Southern Sudan, where some would like to attend college, English is the language of higher education and a requirement for admission. We spend 100% of donations we receive on purchasing the books, and the value of donations are multiplied nearly sevenfold (!) by an enormous discount from the publisher, Oxford University Press. With free shipping from Air France and logistical support from our partner CORD, donations can be converted directly into books that will be used daily in the English classes the refugees have organized themselves in the camps.

Accompanying their contribution, the Class of '54 shared a poem highlighting the values underlying their philanthropy, Edgar Guest's Success:

I hold no dream of fortune vast,
Nor seek undying fame.
I do not ask when life is past
That many know my name.

I may not own the skill to rise
To glory’s topmost height,
Nor win a place among the wise,
But I can keep the right.

And I can live my life on earth
Contented to the end,
If but a few shall know my worth
And proudly call me friend.

You can be sure, Crispus Attucks Class of 1954, that your friendship will reach those in need, who like you, seek neither fame nor fortune, but find their success in education and kindness.