“I could not tell you the number of pencils I have used in my lifetime, whether they were regular wood pencils, plastic pencils, or fancy mechanical pencils, worrying that I would not have access to a pencil is something that has never crossed my mind. After spending some time building schools in the Masai Mara region of Kenya this summer with Pledge to Humanity, I was surprised to learn that most of the children at the Free the Children Elementary Schools had only one wood pencil that they had to use throughout the course of the year. If they lost this pencil, it was likely that their families could not afford to buy another. Having access to pencils is something that most people in first world countries probably do not think twice about, in fact most people could probably open a drawer in their house and find a handful of pencils that they do not use. Regardless of whether it is new or used, a working pencil is a working pencil. I am hoping to collect as many working pencils as possible to send to children and families in Mexico who cannot afford to buy more than one pencil per year. Please take the time to look through your house or office to try and find a few spare pencils lying around. That one spare pencil could be the golden ticket to a child’s education. I am excited to partner with Pledge to Humanity and to their efforts for the benefit of underprivileged schools in Mexico.”
– Christina Walecka, Founder of The Pencil Project
