The Student Senate at the Moses Brown School, a co-educational Quaker school in Providence, RI, is on a mission to help disadvantaged children and families in Jamaica. As part of their Quaker Makers series – an annual, month long event that culminates with a poetry reading and book festival – Senate members sold sundaes that raised $875 to support Reading Owls International (ROI) in its efforts to build lending libraries in Jamaica.

“What might seem as a simple act to some can change a child’s life forever,” says Dickson, Co-Founder and Chairperson of ROI. “What these students at Moses Brown have done is amazing and will be transformative for scores of children in Jamaica. Their action exemplifies the global leadership that is the underpinning of a Quaker education and we could not be happier as the chosen organization for their service work.”

The donated funds will facilitate the purchase of at least 100 high quality and culturally relevant books for Sandy Bay Basic (ages 4 and 5) School in Western Jamaica, representing a four-fold increase in the current book supply.

“Almost 50 percent of Jamaican children do not have a book at home to read and if children truly become readers on the lap of their parents, then kids born in poor households are at a distinct disadvantage from birth,” Dickson further noted.  “The donation of a lending library is a generational gift and the reward – raising global, literate leaders – is immeasurably positive and far reaching. What a great investment to make in the next generation of leaders.”

“It’s truly amazing to see the generous spirit of our community,” said Student Senate president, Kieran Harrington. “We are humbled by how our efforts will help ‘create readers for life,’ one child, one library and one community at a time.”

Reading Owls shipment of books takes place in late summer in time for the new school year.