DEH GAH GOT'IE KOE/FORT PROVIDENCE
Students at Deh Gah School in Fort Providence are fundraising so other students half a world away will no longer have to walk to school.

Aisha Sabourin, 11, makes a yogurt parfait on Jan. 24 that was sold as part of Deh Gah School's fundraising campaign to purchase bicycles for all of the students at Michael Botermans' children's home in Kenya. - Roxanna Thompson/NNSL photo

Michael Botermans, who taught at Chief Jimmy Bruneau School in Behchoko for many years, is now living in Kenya where he has opened a home for children who were living on the streets. In his monthly email newsletters, Botermans talks about how the 13 children who live with him in the home have to walk between six to 10 kilometres round trip every day to school, said Lois Philipp, Deh Gah School's principal. Staff at the school in Fort Providence decided to start a fundraising campaign to make the children's commute to school easier. Each class is sponsoring one of the children and raising $200 to buy them a bicycle.

"(Michael) deserves all the support we can give," Philipp said.

Classes started fundraising during the second full week of January and by Jan. 24 had already raised more than $600. Three families in the community also heard about the campaign and have said they'd like to help buy one of the bikes, said Philipp.

Students in the kindergarten class alone had raised approximately $150 by Jan. 24. The class started with popcorn sales and then the parents of the five students helped to sell 50/50 tickets. Some of the parents have also brought in recyclables, said Diana Gargan, the kindergarten teacher.

Each class has a photo of the student they are sponsoring and a short biography about them. The kindergarten students have talked about their child and what a bike could mean for him.

"I think that it's good that we are fundraising for it," said Raynna Bonnetrouge.

Bonnetrouge, 12, and the 15 girls in the elementary girls class had raised approximately $100 by Jan. 24 through the sale of pizza, jello and cupcakes. The pizza was the most popular item, Bonnetrouge said. She is hopeful her class will meet the $200 mark for a bicycle.

"They'll be happy and excited," she said about getting a bike.

Karen Thurber, 12, Bonnetrouge's classmate, agreed that this fundraiser is for a good cause. Thurber, who only walks about five minutes to school, said it must be difficult to walk three to five kilometres.

The girls have been very enthusiastic about the cause and have wanted to hold a sale every day, said Rosemary Bonnetrouge, the elementary girls' teacher. The class had a cookie sale and a hotdog sale planned for last week.

The class talked about who they are fundraising for and why.

"They feel they are fortunate to have things they don't," Rosemary said.