JESSAMINE CO., Ky. (LEX 18) — A group of Rosenwald-Dunbar students are working to make a difference – not just in their community – but around the world.
“We're building an orphan care center in Malawi, Africa, so the kids there can have a good life,” said fourth grader Ella Combs.
This idea started just six months ago when many of these students were in third grade with their teacher, Lisa Preston.
“We saw a video in my class on Malawi, and the kids were so moved and so touched, they said, ‘we want to build an orphanage right now,’” she shared.
“It broke our hearts, so we wanted to change the world and help,” said student Aiden Whitten.
These students founded Jessamine Cares and partnered with locally-based Circle of Hope, a group that is already involved in Malawi. Since then, they’ve taken their goal around the county, pitching to community leaders and officials.
“The passion of the kids was so powerful that it just touched everybody who heard about it,” Preston said.
“If we just could do this, it inspires so many other people,” said student Olivia Pratley.
On Friday, the students shared their Malawi mission with their peers at school.
“We're going to build this orphan care center for those kids,” Combs said in the assembly.
“We are asking all of Jessamine County to unite together,” added Whitten.
In order to build the center, Jessamine Cares needs to raise $82,000. While that seems like a lot of money, Jessamine Cares could hit that mark if each student in the Jessamine County school system brought $10. However, Jessamine Cares is hoping to get the entire school district involved as well as the community and beyond.
“Some days we're high fiving and say, we got this,” Combs confidently told the school. “We'll get the governor, the president, and Mark Pope on board.”
The students had some in-person visitors, including Wilmore Mayor Harold Rainwater, who declared October as Jessamine Cares Month. Judge executive David West, whose grandson was in Preston’s class and helped start Jessamine Cares, presented $2,500 to go towards the cause as well.
Along with the presenters, special virtual visitors joined in all the way from Malawi, singing a song for the students.
“It was just like a dream,” said Pratley.
“I was really hoping for the network to work and it worked,” added Whitten. “I'm surprised it did because they live half a world away.”
“It was amazing just seeing Malawi and seeing the kids that were going to help,” said Combs.
In their efforts to raise money, schools across Jessamine County will participate in a change drive when they return from fall break, encouraging students to bring in loose change for the cause. Community members can also complete a survey that will help add funds.
You can learn more about Jessamine Cares and join their goal to raise money for an orphan care center at Jessaminecares.org.
