A group of Winnipeg students has gifted a village in Kenya 43 goats – one for each of the widows in the community.
The gift comes after a group of students and teachers from Oak Park High School travelled to the East African country in March to perform service learning.
While there, they dewormed goats, helped repair schools, built a widowed mother a new mud hut and learned about the culture.
When it was time to return, they asked the matriarch of the village Mama Mercy if there was one wish they could grant her, what would it be?
She said she wanted a goat for each of the 43 widows living in the village.
“If they could each get a goat, it would be life-changing,” she reportedly said to the students.
An Oak Park student high-fives one of the kids in the Kenyan village where the school performed service learning. (École secondaire Oak Park High/Instagram)
The students fundraised for the goats once they returned home. Oak Park families, teams and students ‘adopted’ goats to help fund their purchase. They also held a trivia luncheon at the school, with funds going towards the cause.
Mama Mercy’s wish came true on June 8, when 43 goats were delivered to her village in Kenya.
“I want to thank all the students,” Mama Mercy said in a video sent to the students.
“The women are very, very happy. Thanks to the teachers who took the initiative of talking to the students and also parents and whoever contributed money to buy these goats. You have blessed many families in this community.”
The video can be viewed on Pembina Trails School Division’s YouTube page.
Mama Mercy is pictured in a thank you video sent to students and teachers at Oak Park High School. (Pembina Trails School Division/YouTube)