Lipscomb hosts "Anteater's Ball" to raise money for school in Zambia, Africa Nov. 4
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Though members of Alpha Phi Chi, a male service club at Lipscomb, primarily organized the event, Mullins said students all across the campus were involved in making it a success. The “Anteater’s Ball” continued the school’s now two-year fundraising drive to collect $52,000 to build a school in Zambia, Africa for children orphaned by AIDS.
Last year, students raised approximately $32,000, which leaves about $20,000 as the goal for this year’s efforts, according to Jeff Fincher, director of student missions.
“The ‘Anteater’s Ball’ was a theatrical extravaganza with a collage of entertainment including a STOMP routine, chorus, solo acts and choreographed dances,” Mullins said. “The 'Ball' kicks off this year’s fundraising for Zambia with a great evening of entertainment and a time to raise awareness of some of the issues facing Zambia’s educational efforts as a result of the AIDS epidemic.”
A group of Lipscomb students traveled to Zambia this past summer to get a better idea of the need for more schools. One of those students, Brad Ellis, also a member of Alpha Phi Chi, has a renewed zeal to raise the money after observing the poor condition of most of the schools he saw and after realizing the damage being done in many areas because of a complete lack of education.
“We saw schools falling apart,” Ellis said. “Books sitting in the dirt because of no shelves, kids sitting in the dirt because of no desks, kids having to stand because the rooms were too full, 8th graders and 2nd graders in the same classroom because of overcrowding, walls crumbling, broken windows, waterlogged books – these were the conditions we found. Add to that thousands of children who can’t even go to a school, falling apart or not, because the walk is just too far.
“One day, while visiting schools, our driver gave a ride to a girl named Cecilia. In talking to her, we learned that she has to leave her house at daybreak to get to school on time. Then, she almost never makes it back home before nighttime so she has to walk alone in the dark for hours. Many children are not even within walking distance, so they just can’t go to school.”
The insufficient number of schools in Zambia has a great effect on the society.
“Teachers have no incentive to work in schools that are falling apart, and kids who can’t go to school, are left with absolutely no option for education,” Ellis said. “Without education, the situation is almost hopeless because the children have no way to get out of the rut of poverty. Being able to go to school provides the children, not only with a valuable education to use to get out of poverty, but also with a safe place to go during the day, a sense of belonging and identity, the opportunity to have a chance in life.
“The ‘Anteater’s Ball’ provided an opportunity for people to learn about the needs of the children and to give the gift of education to countless children in Zambia for years and years to come.”
For more information about the One Life Revolution fundraising drive, contact Fincher at 615.279.6050 or by e-mailing jeff.fincher [at] lipscomb.edu (.)