Libertyville Boy Scout collects sports gear

Eagle Scouts are supposed to demonstrate service and leadership in their communities.

However, as Matt Berklan works on his final project before reaching the Boy Scouts’ highest honor, he is using his service and leadership skills to help children a world away in Tanzania.

Berklan, 15, is looking to collect soccer balls, shirts, shorts, soccer goals and baseball caps for students at a school in Moshi, Tanzania, that was started by a fellow parishioners at St. Joseph’s Church in Libertyville.

“As I kid, I loved to have fun and play sports,” Berklan said. “And I’m sure it’s the same there as well.”

Berklan said he came up with the idea while at church, hearing about the students who are mostly orphans.

The school in Moshi, Tanzania, was started by parishioners at St. Joseph’s Church. The brother of the Rev. Valerian Laini lives and works as a priest in Tanzania, and paired up with St. Joseph’s about five years ago to get the project going.

There are now about 80 students in the school, with 40 in first grade and 40 in second grade.

Although Laini will soon leave St. Joseph’s, he said he is proud this is his last major project with the parish.

“This really is a wonderful project because it brings Americans and Africans together to help these children,” he said.

Laini described Berklan as enthusiastic and talented, and said he is glad the community has come behind him to support this project.

“It was just a neat way to help people that are among the poorest in the world in a very direct way,” said Stan Taylor, member of the board of directors for the Mailisita Foundation, the charity behind the school.

Taylor said he has gone to visit the school seven times in the past five years, and he will travel there again in July to help deliver the supplies Berklan has been collecting. Taylor said he thinks the project is important for more reasons than just fun.

“It lets the children know that somebody thinks they are special, someone thinks they are important,” Taylor said. “The fact that someone from the other side of the world would think enough about them to send them these gifts will really help their confidence.”

Although most Eagle Scout projects are local, Taylor said he is glad Berklan wasn’t afraid to take on a larger, more difficult project.

“He’s really conducted himself like an Eagle Scout,” Taylor said.

Organizing such a large-scale project has taught Berklan about being a leader and to focus on doing good each day, which he said is one of the Boy Scout mottos.

“It doesn’t matter how big or small it is, it’s if you help people that matters,” Berklan said.

Berklan will collect supplies until June 14 at the Libertyville Civic Center, 135 W. Church St., and Sunset Foods at Route 137 and Butterfield Road.