A Drive Towards Hope:

‘Pencils for Peace’ Draws Success

By Larissa Lytwyn

Enveloped in streamers, signs, and an oak-tag American flag, a pickup truck full of school supplies including construction paper, two basketball hoops, Legos, and 29,000 pencils, began its journey from Reed Intermediate School to its ultimate destination: Shala, Kosovo.

The send-off was the culmination of the fifth grade class’s three-month drive to collect 10,000 pencils for children in Shala schools whose supplies have dwindled since the war in Kosovo. The project began after fifth grade instructor Karen King returned from a trip to Ireland this past February, a place she first visited as an exchange student more than two decades ago.

“One of the friends I keep in touch with, Padraig Power, is a carpenter who is always holding fundraisers for different humanitarian projects,” she said. One of the projects, known internationally as “Pencils for Peace,” involves shipping school supplies to Shala schools.

“The students were eager to help,” said Ms King. “Soon they were comparing prices at where they could find the least expensive pencils in town!” She said that the project incorporated lesson plans centering on math, English, and history skills. “The students learned persuasive writing through sending letters to various people and organizations for money,” she said. “They also learned about the Kosovo war and its people. I did, too. There isn’t a whole lot of focus on [the Kosovo war] anymore.”

The class also corresponded with Shala school students. “A lot of residents in [postwar] Shala feel forgotten about,” said Ms King. “So, the kids made sure they included things in their letters like ‘You will never be forgotten,’ words like that.” In order to further understand the feeling of deprivation the children in Shala have faced, the students even shared a single pencil for a month.

As word of “Pencils for Peace” spread, several local companies sent donations, including Newtown Dental Associates, who sent toothbrushes and toothpaste, and 10,000 pencils from Curtis Packaging. The company’s president, Donald Droppo, even paid the class a visit. “He shook the hand of each student and answered questions about his business and his philanthropic efforts for nearly an hour,” Ms King said.

The class also received generous attention from local residents. “There is a considerable Kosovoan population in Newtown,” said Ms King. One such member, Hidajete Behluli, visited the class recently to talk about her experiences as a Kosovo refugee. “The class was very attentive,” said Ms King.

As the donations poured in, one difficulty arose: the process of shipping the supplies to Shala. “We applied to several charity organizations, like AmeriCares, but the shipment was either too big or too small,” Ms King explained. Then, just two weeks ago, during a funeral for a colleague, the teacher met Gerry Lynch, a representative from the Bollinger Moving Company in Stamford, Conn. “Mr Lynch agreed to move the supplies to Dublin, Ireland free of charge,” Ms King said.

After crossing the Atlantic, Padraig Power is prepared to send the shipment, along with medical supplies and donated fire engines and ambulances, to Shala. “Padraig has assured us that the supplies will be available to the children by September 1,” said Ms King.