Thank you to Tate, an 11 year old girl who is leading the way and showing us how to connect our story to those around the world!
My name is Tate. I just turned 11 years old and I am in the fifth grade. For spring break last year, I went to Kenya with The 410 Bridge. I was very moved by the things I saw there; most were good; the beautiful and friendly people, the hardworking teachers, the families that don’t complain and may not have a meal on their table that day, and the hard work of people from The 410 Bridge to make a difference in their lives. My favorite part of our trip was the visit to the school. We went to Endana Primary School.
We got a bigger taste of their life when we went to their homes for a day. Their lives were hard at their houses. At the school we put stickers that my school had written into school books that The 410 and a giver had brought over. All of the kids were so excited! Everyone there was so nice and grateful. I was happy that this organization was making things better by helping with their education and providing the kids with a good meal for the day.
It is really amazing how people care about helping less fortunate people. At my birthday party, instead of gifts I asked people to bring a donation for The 410 Bridge. I was planning to donate anything I received to The 410 Bridge. I was expecting everyone to bring in about five dollars each, if they brought anything. My goal was to be able to donate sixty dollars but I was nearly certain I would not make my goal. As we were taking a hike, one of my friends asked me,” Did you have a goal for the money?” I told her my goal. I was very surprised by her response, “Well, I know you raised more than that because I gave you $100.” I nearly screamed and I gave her a HUGE hug. I was dumbfounded by her generosity for a simple birthday party.
After the party, I anxiously started counting the money. Everyone had brought me WAY more than $5.00! A wave of gratitude washed over me. Suddenly my goal became $200. Even if I didn’t make it to $200 I would still be excited. I kept opening the envelopes. I lost track so my mom added the total up on her calculator. My grand total was $305!! This time I did scream. I knew exactly what I would use it for: Endana Primary School. I am so grateful that I exceeded my goal. I am so happy that my friends were so generous and thoughtful. I have so many blessings and my friends are just one of them. And now, I am grateful to be able to contribute to the Endana School and help make a difference. I look forward to making a difference in the lives of those less fortunate for the rest of my life.
Tate with her mom, Kelly, and her brother Jack