Charlie Green Jr., a double major in architectural and civil engineering, went along for the ride to school with these children all because of an opportunity students at Tennessee State University didn’t take for granted. It all started with “Letters In Motion.”
This past year students created letters to be delivered to children in Kenya.
Each letter held its own message of encouragement, uplift, and motivation. Through pictures and words students created something that the kids could hold on to and look at from time to time.
The movement for Letters In Motion began with a vision from the founder John Sellers and students at the University of Tennessee at Martin. As it turned into a non-profit organization more college students began to write letters to the orphans that the program reaches and Tennessee State University became the fourth college to join and the first Historically Black College and University (HBCU) on board.
Letters In Motion President, Elizabeth Sanders, was glad to have TSU join the movement because it changed the dynamics of the organization. “I’m glad to have a school that brings so much academic and cultural diversity to our organization” said Sanders.
This summer was the inaugural of the program in Kenya and so much was completed on the journey. Charlie Green Jr. represented TSU on the trip and helped create compost for food covering two acres, and visited up to twelve schools were he talked to over 5,000 students.
Green explained the visits to the school as life changing.
If you were present you would be able to feel the shaking in the room as students went in an uproar full of excitement and joy after everyone spoke. They were motivated to do more than just go to school but make differences in their communities.
Green was even given an African name when visiting one of the schools. The program was able to donate thirty desks to Gecocio School, and Green is helping one of the schools with a new design for a bigger and better school.
The organization was not expecting to reach so many children and did not have enough letters for them all but plan on having more created in the future.
As Green and others departed the children’s eyes filled with tears and frowns but Green ensured them that he will be back and you can help by creating letters to send their way.
To learn more about “Letters In Motion” you cab visit here.
