New Year’s Resolution

My New Year’s Resolution is to help other communities in some way. I am very lucky to live in a beautiful area, but I hear a lot about what is going around the world. Kids are not able to go to school, but instead they go to work, some kids (mostly girls) aren’t even allowed to attend school. I want to help the children and adults and make their lives easier and better.

When I was in 5th grade I was in a charity called Pennies For Peace. Our school helped the charity raise money to build schools and get school supplies in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Our school was able to raise enough money to build a school, which was a very big deal. Afterwards, our community service group continued to support the charity, and we even got to meet the founder, Greg Mortenson, and his daughter. Greg had an amazing story. He was climbing K2 with a couple of his friends and he lost his way. He ended up in a little city, sick, lost, and tired. They treated him and cared for him until he was able to get back on his feet. Greg noticed that a group of kids were sitting in the mud, writing simple math problems with sticks, on the ground. From that day on, he knew he was going to help those kids go to school with rooms and actual pencils. Greg Mortenson even got nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.

Greg Mortenson and Masha Chernitskaya

I want to do this because Greg inspired me. My first step is to ask my fifth grade teacher, Mrs. Jennings if there are any other organizations that I could help. Then I will look the charity up online and start raising money or whatever that organization needs.

If I don’t achieve this goal, I will be ashamed of myself, but I will know that I tried my hardest. If it doesn’t work out, I will probably keep trying, until it does. - Masha