M-A students raising funds to help buy an 'ark' M-A students raising funds to help buy an 'ark' (January 12, 2005)

By Jessica Scott

Senior, M-A High School

Students in Menlo-Atherton High School's gender-studies class are undertaking an unusual public-service project -- raising money to help buy pairs of animals -- a modern-day "ark" -- that would be sent to impoverished or developing countries to help struggling families.

The fundraising effort was launched after students in Christina Galliano's gender-studies class watched a tape of an Oprah Winfrey show on female genital mutilation and were moved by "the helplessness of young girls in a male-dominated society," Ms. Galliano said.

The program reported that 33 percent of the girls who go through the genital mutilation procedure do not survive.

Sonja Steck, a senior at M-A, said that this year's gender-studies class "wanted to do something a little different -- more important -- than a more traditional senior class project."

After they researched various organizations, they chose Heifer International and its "Ark" program as an effort that would reach the most people, "giving them a sustainable gift," she said.

The hope is that the villages that receive the animals "will have more of an opportunity to be educated and understand that this archaic rite (female genital mutilation) is not acceptable," Ms. Galliano said.

M-A students are trying to raise $5,500 to help buy the animals. Through the program, a pair of cows might be sent to a Russian village to bring milk and income, for example. Sheep could be sent to help families in Mexico produce wool. Camels could be sent to Kenya to help people transport agricultural and industrial materials.
INFORMATION

For more information, contact M-A gender-studies teacher Christina Galliano at cgallian@seq.org.

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