Two Coquitlam teens are sharing their concerns about the plight of students in an African country.
And they’re hoping Tri-City residents will help them to raise funds for school books and desks.
With the help of their father, who works for the United Nations in Gao, Mali, Thineth and Siyath Ariyaratne reached out to the school principal at Askia Private School. The boys said they heard about the challenging living conditions faced by Mali youngsters, prompting them to take action.
“I remember feeling helpless as to how I could help them, understanding that my life here in Canada was a blessed one and that I had a responsibility to aid those less fortunate, like the children I was hearing about in Mali,” stated Thineth, 17, a Grade 12 student at Deer Lake School in Burnaby.
According to the principal, the school building and desks were badly damaged in the ongoing Mali conflict, and many of the students are too poor to pay fees to attend.
