Stories inspire local students to aid Afghans

It started with an 8-year-old boy in Afghanistan who turned down a candy bar in favor of a pencil and an American serviceman who wanted to do more.

Poor Afghan students don't have luxuries such as pens and paper to take notes in school; they rely on memorization.

Also, just talking to the Americans deployed in their country is a crime punishable by death.

Coleman Middle School students were riveted by the story.

"I thought it was just like, oh, they need school supplies; they ran out of money or something like that," said 11-year-old Nathaniel Seiler.

Then Nathaniel learned the boy had begged for a pencil and had to break it into smaller sections to share with other kids.

"I mean, really, that's really incredible," the sixth-grader said.

On Veterans Day, Nathaniel and 25 classmates delivered thousands of pencils, pens, notebooks, backpacks and other school supplies to the SS American Victory, an old war cargo ship turned museum docked behind the Florida Aquarium.

The South Tampa school spent the past month collecting more than 2,500 items that will be stored on the ship until being flown to Afghanistan.

"It's pretty terrible for kids not to learn," Nathaniel said. "In my opinion, that's what makes the world go 'round."

Coleman is one of nine local schools collecting the supplies in a drive organized by Air Force Senior Master Sgt. Rex Temple and his wife, Liisa, of Tampa. Temple deployed to Afghanistan this summer, where he met the boy who inspired the volunteer effort.

Eighth-grade language arts teacher Teresa Cook helped put together the plan at Coleman, where each homeroom competed to collect the most supplies. The winners get a doughnut party and a civics lesson.

"It shows everybody can make a difference," said eighth-grader Alexa Castellano, 13, who helped box supplies Wednesday.

They also learned about what it means to be free.

"You are in a country where you can learn," said 12-year-old Tyson Ward, a seventh-grader at Coleman. "And they are in a country where they can't learn."

Eighth-grader Alyssa Marin envisions that new pencils and notebooks will be the start of a new life for the Afghan students.

"I'm hoping that these kids will be able to go to school without having to duck bombs and bullets," the 13-year-old said.

Another supply drive will take place Nov. 21 at the University of South Florida Bulls' homecoming game at Raymond James Stadium, Liisa Temple said.

Here's how to contribute:

•E-mail TRexinAfghanistan @gmail.com.

•Send checks to The Holland & Knight Charitable Foundation Inc., Afghan School Supplies Fund, P.O. Box 2877, Tampa FL 33602.

•Donate by credit card at http://foundation.hklaw.com.