A Day to Remember
Suspense filled the room as we waited for them to arrive. Students were restless. We waited for word that they would be coming soon. Finally, Ms. Beth Clarke entered the room, saying: "They are in the building!". And so the story unfolds...
Ms. Nane Annan, Her Excellency Ms. Diana Fowler LeBlanc & Ms. Mary Fowler (who is related to Ms. Fowler LeBlanc) came to St. Elizabeth School to talk with students from grades 4 through 6! Ms. Annan talked about her experiences with landmine victims in Angola. Emotions filled the room when she talked about a 12 year old boy who lost his leg while playing in his own backyard. She looked like she was about to cry when she talked about a man who lost his eyes when he had an encounter with a landmine.
She also talked about when her husband, Mr. Koffi Annan, Secretary-General of the United Nations, was about to make a speech in a town in Angola, when it started to POUR! Yet inspite of the rain, everyone who was there stood and waited for his words of peace, especially the people in the first row, who were victims of landmines.
After her husband's speech, Ms. Annan saw a line of women who had lost at least one leg and were on crutches. Most of their husbands had died, and some of them had young children, even babies to take care of all by themselves. Most of the people there had made their own crutches and wheelchairs. It's their only way of getting around.
Of course, they weren't the only ones who showed their stuff! The kids at St. Elizabeth School showed their stuff too, by giving the visitors hand-
made buttons and showing them their great website "Students Against Landmines".
It was an experience filled with many emotions. It was sad to hear all those stories of landmine victims, but at least we know that something is finally being done about it. We are sad to say that our story comes to an end. This has been one experience we shall never forget!
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We were shocked when we heard how critical it is for a child to learn how to spot and recognize a landmine before they even learn their ABC's. While they were learning how to spot and recognize landmines, we were learning about the 3 different types of landmines: anti-tank, anti-personnel, and anti-group mines. It was so sad to hear that landmines are aimed not at soldiers, who are actually at war, but at innocent civilians, who haven't really done anything wrong, but just happen to be in the wrong place, at the wrong time.
It was very exciting when Ms. Mary Fowler brought in from the UN models of 3 different types of landmines that we could actually touch! There was one that was so sensitive that the slightest amount of weight would trigger it. It was scary to think that innocent people are so defenseless against something that seems so harmless yet is so deadly.
