Kids Helping Kids Over 7500 Miles Away
Wellesley Hills Congregational Church children hold Grand Bazaar to benefit children of Africa
 By Barry Jacobson, Acting Associate Minister
Wellesley Hills Congregational Church, UCC
A year ago, Wellesley Hills Congregational Church, UCC members Sarah Pedersen and Pam Stewart noticed how intrigued the children were when Associate Minister Pash Obeng gave a presentation about his summer ministry in India. So, the pair created and implemented a remarkable new program, named "Kids Helping Kids," which has now powerfully connected children in Wellesley with communities of children over 7500 miles away!
Through a series of special Lenten Church School sessions, the children from Kindergarten through 8th grade learned about different aspects of the history and culture of the African Diaspora people who are the focus of Pash's ministry and research in southwest India. Known as Siddis or Habshis, these people are facing incredible poverty and discrimination. In fact, many Siddi children are separated from their families to begin a lifetime of hard manual labor at a very young age, instead of going to school. In some cases children go to work just because the parents cannot make enough money to sustain basic human needs; in other cases, it is because the parents are being exploited.
Pash explained that in the very poor areas where Siddis have lived for generations, the Siddi/Habshi people have usually been stuck at the bottom of the social system. So they often lack both the education and the legal standing to resist being exploited. Often, a non-Siddi will approach a Siddi family and 'inform' them that they owe money to a creditor and will demand payment. Those Siddis who do not have the knowledge or courage to dispute the claim find themselves in an endless cycle of working to pay off a debt which the creditor never says is paid off. Because of that bondage, children work alongside the parents to help pay off the debt. Sometimes the 'creditor' will demand that the children work as slaves in the fields in order to help pay off the debt.
With guidance from Sarah, Pam, and Pash, the Sunday School children brainstormed and realized a wonderful new initiative to share their families' resources with these people who suffer from poverty, debt, and slavery.
The children drew up a list of goals for responding to the Siddi communities' requests for assistance, focusing on helping make sure that more Siddi children can break the cycle of debt slavery and attend a decent school. The children set to work on some ambitious fundraising projects. With terrific creative leadership from Pam and Sarah, they made, in a very short time, a huge number of items to sell at a "Grand Bazaar," held at the end of March. They constructed sets of board games which are popular in India and Africa, and they also made colorful stationery, jewelry, puzzles, food items and potted plants. They learned a Siddi song which they presented in worship, and they shared their enthusiasm for the whole project with the congregation so effectively that the funds raised vastly exceeded all hopes and expectations.
By the time Pash left for India, $8400 had been raised through the sale of what the children had made, through donations, and through a matching grant from the Outreach Committee.
Pash brought these offerings in person to schools in India which are rescuing Siddi children from debt slavery. This assistance is already making a real difference in debt relief and in the quantity and quality of books, food, clothing, building materials and other essentials. In addition, Pash's long-term commitment to these communities, and the church's continuing involvement, will help ensure that our engagement with the Siddi people is only beginning.
The kids' infectious energy, interest and caring has opened this new path of discipleship for all of the members to follow, and has shown God is Still Speaking to the children of Wellesley Hills Congregational Church and to the Siddi children of Africa.
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