"They were very happy and encouraged when they heard how their drawings made a difference."
Anna recently delivered the drawings and letters to children that were sent from Canadian students.
These children are living in Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps in Chad.
"When I met them, we asked
whether they remembered who I was and they unanimously said 'yes'. We gave them an update on what happened to their
drawings and the media impact they had all over Europe and among students and communities in Western Canada.
We
told them we were leaving a selection of letters with them and that the Canadian students had heard their voices through their
drawings and how they wanted the Chadian children to know that they really cared about what happened to them. We said
that this was a link of solidarity between the two continents. We went to all eight classes. The older children
of course responded in a very enthusiastic manner. After reading each letter they would break out in spontaneous applaus.
They were very happy and encouraged when they heard how their drawings made a difference and how children in another part
of the world were thinking of them."
From all of us at Waging Peace, thank you to all the students who took
the time to show their care and concern.
University of British
Columbia
When Judy McLean, Professor at the University of British Columbia, invited me to share two lectures
with her, I was not expecting the outpouring of care that the students demonstrated in the following days. They
hope to create a bond across the miles that will bring both sides closer together.
The evening before my departure,
the Professor and her husband came by to drop off the letters UBC students wrote to the children of Chad and Darfur.
I was in for a surprise… The number of letters and cards and creative expressions filled half of my spare suitcase
and I cannot wait to witness the expression of the children when they receive the letters.
Here is a small selection
of these letters. The choices were difficult to make, as all were so creative and/or touching.
See for yourself.
