Youngchurch
Bridging the gap between continents F
itsum Woldermariam is still caught off guard and even sur- prised when he enters Lisa Rupp’s third-grade classroom in Waverly, Iowa. The college student is still not accustomed to all the kids at St. Paul Lutheran School who surround him instantly, many reaching out to give hugs (
www.stpaulswaverly.org/ school). This form of welcome is a big change from his native home of Ethiopia, Africa.
Last school year Rupp’s third- graders partnered with Wartburg Col- lege to “host” Woldermariam, one of its international students. “Offering students a firsthand account of life in Africa is not something a text can do, so hosting Fitsum gives us a glimpse into what his life is like,” Rupp said. Throughout the year, Woldermar- iam spent time with various families on holidays, watching sporting events and simply playing.
“Hanging out with Fitsum is so cool,” said student Brady Ramker. When the class led a school wor- ship service, Woldermariam attended. “It was great to see all [the kids], and I learned something about forgive- ness,” he said.
Send stories of your youth group (pre- school-confirmation age) to: Andrea Pohlmann Kulik , 8765 W. Higgins Rd., Chicago IL 60631; andrea.pohlmann@
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Hosting their friend fit in well with the students’ unit on Africa. Along with learning about daily life through Woldermariam, they researched Afri- can animals and wrote “I am” poems from the animals’ perspectives. Using various trade books as the basis, Rupp extended their learn- ing with the study of habitats. “We also used
Google Earth to iden- tify different countries within the continent, particularly Ethiopia,” she said.
40 The Lutheran •
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Brady Ramker (left) and youth at St. Paul Lutheran School, Waverly, Iowa, “host” Fit- sum Woldermariam, a college student from Africa. Sasha Wilson (inset) and Abe Bixby collect coins for Water to Thrive.
The students’ learning stretched even further with a visit from Ed Scharlau, a board member of Water to Thrive (
www.watertothrive.org), a nonprofit that specializes in building wells in rural Ethiopia and Sierra Leone. They learned how clean water isn’t available for many in rural Africa. As a result, the third-graders wrapped up their African unit by embarking on a small-scale fundraiser for Water to Thrive. They each collected coins in plastic water bottles. A Wartburg alumnus made matching funds available. Rupp said she was able to tie in the ELCA Malaria Campaign (www.elca. org/malaria) as well, making a strong global connection along with Water to Thrive.
“Not only will they experience a real life connection to our curriculum, but the students will also have an opportunity to serve others,” Rupp added. Student Avery Wrage said: “It felt good just thinking about giving people in Africa clean water.” Her sentiments were echoed by many in the class. Through the fundraiser, students experienced a simple way to serve others who are in need. They were also directed to look, unselfishly, beyond them- selves. The hope is that after this project, bottled water will come to symbolize something more meaningful for these students. Although the African unit is complete, Woldermariam will endure three more years of hugs from his hosts as he continues his education at Wartburg. This is a friendship that will continue to bridge the gap between the two continents.
Krismar Ramker
Ramker, a wife and stay-at-home mom of three boys, is a member of St. Paul Lutheran Church, Waverly, Iowa.
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