Rolling Meadows High reaches out to African village

There's a village in sub-Saharan Africa so remote it has never seen Western aid. Even its own government has trouble reaching it.

Rolling Meadows High School students and teachers are about to change that.

They've been collecting school supplies for weeks in a "Create a Classroom" project and plan to fill and ship a 40-ton crate to the Zambian village of Chief Mphamba.

"We are putting in everything from soccer balls for P.E., to paint for art, to workbooks for spelling, and clothing and furniture," says Lesa Meyer, who's heading up the drive with fellow teacher Nichole Anderson.

"Kids who usually don't get involved in other things at school are coming in here asking, 'Can I pack boxes today?' "

The idea for the project started when Meyer and Anderson met Princess Zindaba Nyirenda, sister of the chief of Chief Mphamba. She emigrated to the Chicago area years ago and talked at the school during African-American Week last year.

"We thought, we would love to get a service project going that would get the whole community involved," Meyer said.

The village, which is near the border of Malawi, is cut off from the rest of Zambia by a mountain range. It rarely receives help or supplies from the government. "While Zambia might give aid, this area might not receive it," Meyer says.

With thatched huts and no running water in the village, many children face disease and neglect. It's a community that also has been hit hard by AIDS.

The two teachers are rallying students with contests each week. The freshman class took the lead in February by donating a whopping 275 pounds of school supplies. The staff challenge wraps up today.

The school's goal is to collect $10,000 and, with help from two other out-of-state organizations, ship the enormous crate on April 11.

While donations from the community are ongoing, books for children of all ages are especially needed. "We can't get enough," Meyer says. "They speak English there because it's a former British colony."

Also needed are 5-gallon buckets for carrying water from the well. They use the containers for more than carrying water, Meyer says.

Meyer has been pleased with the local response; nearly two dozen businesses and families have contributed. If you'd like to help, bring donations to the high school office or call Meyer at (847) 718-5698.