6th grade students display their wares at the fundraiser.
Two Afghan exchange students were special guests in attendance.
The Accounting Committee co-chair counts the money as it comes in.
The November 7 fundraiser held by Cannon Falls 6th graders was a huge success, and raised enough money to enroll 18 Afghan students in vocational training as a part of the first U.S./Afghan Junior Investor Program. The Cannon Falls community made a strong show of support at the well-attended event, including a visit from the mayor, local bankers and school board members.
Several participating students made a heartwarming presentation to the crowd on the importance of the Junior Investor program, and Ghafar Lakanwal, the Afghan founder of Partnership for Education of Children in Afghanistan (P.E.C.A.), the nonprofit organization that will implement the Afghan side of the program, was on hand to speak to the crowd and support the kids.
Other special guests included Naweed and Abuzzar, two teenage boys from Afghanistan who are here studying on the World Link exchange program for a year. They greeted guests wearing national dress and sold their own art and photography as a contribution to the fundraiser.
For every $100 raised, one Afghan student will be able to receive vocational training for one year through this program. In addition to the education they will receive, they will also be required to share this knowledge with the Cannon Falls students who supported their education through this fundraiser.
Photos courtesy of Jim Nihart.
I could not be more proud of the Cannon Falls kids! They did a fantastic job organizing and carrying out the responsibilities of the fund raiser. One of the things that impressed me the most was that our students were not counting MONEY raised, but rather KIDS they would be able to support. They were thrilled to have “reached 18 kids!”. This project is amazing, and I’m very excited to be a part of it. Thank you Children’s Culture Connection for involving our school in this life changing program!