By Betsy Pray
Staff Writer
Writing letters seems to be a thing of the past. But what if writing a letter involved learning about a new culture, changing people’s lives and teaching someone English?
BonaResponds is giving people the chance to do just that. The service organization is launching a new pen pal program with schools in Haiti where participants can exchange letters with Haitian students.
Jim Mahar, coordinator of BonaResponds, explained one of the main purposes of the program is to increase awareness of the ongoing problems in Haiti. Three years after the January 2010 earthquake, the disaster’s effects continue to persist.
“We’re trying to remind people up here that Haiti still needs help,” Mahar said. “It’s out of sight and out of mind, but it’s really not recovered.”
According to the Central Intelligence Agency, Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere. The limited education system makes learning English difficult for students. The new pen pal program is geared toward changing this by allowing native English speakers write letters to Haitians.
Brittani Sponaugle, a BonaResponds contact from Colorado, is the coordinator of the pen pal program. After running a similar program in Ghana, she agreed to become involved.
“English is a growing language in our global market,” Sponaugle said. “It’s very important to find that mutual understanding and communication.”
The opportunity is not limited to the St. Bonaventure community. Mahar explained that anyone can participate, no matter where they are in the world. The program is planned to be ongoing, with no limit on the number participants.
Those interested in taking part can go onto bonaresponds.org and click the link to sign up. Once signed up, they can follow the instructions on how to write a letter and send it.
Rachael Herrmann, a junior business management major, offered her opinion on what the opportunity brings.
“In today’s interconnected world, it is even more essential to foster and develop relationships,” Herrmann said. “To have the opportunity to connect with, teach and learn from Haitian students is a wonderful example of what relationships can be developed and grown in today’s world.”
Mahar emphasized this program is not BonaResponds’ first outreach toward Haiti, but rather just one part of an ongoing, multi-faceted effort. Over the past three years, the organization has held numerous events and fundraisers to send aid to Haiti, donate to scholarships and ship school supplies.
There will be a scavenger hunt on Saturday, Nov. 23 to benefit Haiti Scholarships. More information about this event can also be found on bonaresponds.org. The group’s biggest event, a food-packing day, will take place in March, where members aim to pack and send 100,000 pounds of food.
For now, anyone is encouraged to sign up to become a pen pal; not only to teach English, but to also establish cross-cultural relationships.
“I think it’s a great way to step out of your comfort zone,” Sponaugle said. “To be able to form a relationship with somebody you normally would never have a chance to meet and learn from is very important.”
