Two Best Friends Take on South Africa and Continue to Make A ChangeBy: Alex Lee
A cozy room filled with a lightly scented aroma, market lights around the perimeters and colorfully laid merchandize surround a young woman with worldly qualities. For a first extensive adventure across the world, she had always dreamed of going to Africa, but one of her best friends had always imagined South America. Pursuing their appetite to travel, the two friends decided to draw out of a hat to agree on a destination. In that hat were options of five countries: Malawi, South Africa, Uganda, Uruguay and Costa Rica. South Africa was the lucky winner and Spring 2012 brought a new adventure for Colorado State students Brooke Klaess, 21, and St. Olaf student Molly Dietrich, 21. They traveled half way across the world to find something that would truly make them tick. “We had the picture that by volunteering three months of our time, we would be bettering someone else’s life,” Dietrich said. “However, at the end of our time, it was clear that those kids had given us so much in return and more.” After returning home from volunteering at Christian David Moravian Primary School in Muizenberg, South Africa, the two friends felt like they needed to do something even greater to help. “I feel like I got more out of my experience than I gave, so then that’s when we decided: let’s do something here and raise money,” Klaess said. “That’s how we started Bee the Change.” Their mission is to raise funds so children in South Africa can receive an education and further resources. Amanda Grillo, friend of Klaess and Dietrich, speaks highly of their journey as well. “They truly came back changed and passionate from their experience,” Grillo said. Inspired from her involvement with the kids in South Africa, Klaess based Bee the Change by how eager the kids were to learn new things. “I heard a lot of their personal stories of their home life and then I would see them at school and how happy they were to be around other kids,” Klaess said. “School was the only place for these kids to be kids.” Klaess recognized more importance of school for these kids when she heard that two students, children to a leader of a gang in the township, were sitting in front of their house one evening when their mom and dad got shot right in front of them. “It made me realize that school for them is more than school,” Klaess said. “It’s a place to be a kid and feel safe.” “The principal asked the third grader, whose parents got shot in front of him, why he came to school that day and wasn’t at the hospital. He said that school was where he felt the safest,” Klaess said. John Klaess, father of Klaess, said “I am inspired by what Bee The Change is doing to further the education of the under privileged children of South Africa." The nonprofit has gained support to help them expand, and has helped send 300 kids to school in South Africa already since beginning Bee the Change. “I’ve really enjoyed how supportive my school, friends and families have been so far, but I would love to see Bee the Change move beyond Brooke and I’s social networks,” Dietrich said. Beginning by selling tank tops, Bee the Change quickly developed T-shirts and wristbands to promote Christian David Moravian Primary School. Among other goals, they hope to expand to other schools in third world countries for kids that can’t afford to go to school. “We also hope to expand to help fund other resources that schools need as well,” Klaess said. An $8-12 donation can fund a year of schooling for a child, including two meals per day. “With school fees for one year being roughly the price of two Starbucks coffee’s, we knew many of our family and friends would be able to contribute without it being a huge financial burden,” Dietrich said. Through the motivation and support from many, Klaess and Dietrich hope to spread the word and constantly encourage change from all different directions. “Molly and Brooke continually ask our opinion on what they should sell and try hard to get their foot in any and every door to spread the word,” said, Amanda Grillo, friend. “I am so proud of the passion this experience has brought them.”
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December 2016
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