Students at Lacombe Upper Elementary School helped raise $1,266 for the Kayonza Deafblind Centre in Rwanda.
Construction at the Rwanda centre was recently completed, supported by A Better World Canada.
More than 20 children will attend the school, which offers rare programming in Rwanda, where the government provides little support for children with visual and hearing disabilities.
The funds were raised by a raffle in support of Project Hope, which is the Peer Support team’s biggest annual fundraiser at the Lacombe school.
“Our Peer Support team is an important leadership team in our school,” says assistant principal Nicole Rawlinson. “These students are trained in conflict mediation and provide support to all students throughout the year when playground or classroom conflicts arise.”
Project Hope has been supporting A Better World projects since 2007. The students have raised a total of $35,700 to help school children in African countries.
“It is inspiring to see the generosity of children, who are willing to go to such efforts to help other children they have never met,” said A Better World executive director Eric Rajah.
“Their ongoing support has a genuine impact on our projects overseas, as we attempt to build sustainable improvements for the future of these nations.”