By: Twumasi Duah-Mensah
You’ve probably heard by now that, tomorrow, Operation Wisdom will be hosting its fifth annual series of pep rallies during first, second, and fourth period. You may have even heard that they will be hosting an interactive lunch tomorrow. But have you heard about what you’re supporting? What they are doing? Why they are doing this? Question no more! Here is the Herald’s breakdown of Friday.
First Period Pep Rally – We Are Human
During the second week of December, over 200 students, staff, and community members wore shirts with the slogan “Human rights correct human wrongs” to help OW raise awareness for the many human rights violations that are happening all over the world, especially the genocide of Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar. In the end, this event helped OW raise and donate over $2,000 to help fight against injustice.
OW is continuing their efforts to advocate for human rights in the first period pep rally. Through games, gimmicks, and simulations, they will teach the school about human rights and will hopefully inspire students to take action.
Second Period Pep Rally – We Are the Thirst Project
By now, you know why clean, accessible water is necessary. Cooking, farming, hygiene, sanitation, hydration–the list goes on and on. “Without it, kids in Africa have to walk ten trillion miles to get water that isn’t even clean.” We’ve heard it all before, but it seems like we don’t see any solutions for change. This is why OW teamed up with the Thirst Project.
Thirst Project is a nonprofit organization that aims to end the global water crisis. Their focus is in Swaziland, a small country of over 1.3 million people that struggles with a lack of access to clean water and has the single highest–density HIV/AIDS population in the world. Thirst Project’s solution? Building wells. Water plays an important role in treating AIDS. Thirst Project has made a commitment to provide access to clean drinking water to all people in Swaziland by 2022.
But they need our help.
That’s why OW is focusing their second period pep rally on the global water crisis. All proceeds from wristband sales will go to the Thirst Project’s amazing efforts to end the crisis. To learn more about the Project, go to this website.
Interactive Lunch
Many booths and games will be open during all three lunches tomorrow. The booths and games will educate on issues such as human rights, the global water crisis, cultural awareness, and charities in our own community that you can support.
Fourth Period Pep Rally – We Are Glocal
Along with OW, many other charities in our local community help out around the world. As best summarized by Miles MacLeod, the founder of OW, these charities are “locally based and globally focused.” To promote these organizations, the fourth period pep rally will focus on being “glocal!” The three organizations are:
Students will learn about the three charities and will be treated to several performances from cultural groups in the school. While the proceeds from wristband sales will be split three ways, there will be a fundraiser during the rally. The audience will then get to choose which charity the fundraiser money should go to.
The Heritage Herald 