Pens for Namibia

Sometimes even the smallest thing can be a great gift.

The students and staff of The Harbour School (THS) learned that important lesson recently during a school-wide project that resulted in over 25,000 pens being collected for Namibian schoolchildren. 

Their efforts coincide with the International Association of Special Education biennial conference in Windhoek, Namibia in July. Linda Jacobs, Executive Director of THS, will be a featured speaker at the conference, and during her trip, she will visit a school in Windhoek, the capital city of Namibia, to deliver the gift.

So why pens?

“You know all those ubiquitous ballpoint pens that seem to be everywhere? The students in Namibia would love to have them,” explained Veda Ilagan, staff member at THS.  

“Due to the poverty there, the majority of school children or even entire schools do not have writing utensils and can’t do school work. Pencils won’t do because there aren’t enough pencil sharpeners. The children rely on ballpoint pens,” Ilagan said.

Given Jacobs’ upcoming trip, the students, faculty and staff of THS used that opportunity to help. They have collected over 25,200 pens for students in Namibia. 

“The Harbour School students have used this as a learning opportunity, counting up the pens, learning about the geography and culture of Namibia," said Ilagan.

The effort was used to foster the school’s innovative village learning system (where students run businesses that mirror real life). Their lessons included calculating the logistics of sending the pens overseas, understanding the cost of instructional materials, and learning about the country’s government and geography, according to Ilagan. 

Several area businesses and community partners also participated in the project, including: PMG, PNC Bank, the Washington Wizards, Big Boyz Bail Bonds and the Severna Park Rotary Club.