March would’ve made a more appropriate ninth month, if you ask me, for during its first two weeks marching up and down is all I can remember doing. Surrounded by rows of classmates, there I was, stomping in unison the hot ground. We might as well been snuffing out hordes of invisible ants.
Why were we taken out of class to march around for an hour or so a day? The answer is simple: Independence Day. All over the country, students – from elementary to high school – hone their marching skills several weeks prior so that on September 15th they can flood the streets in civic celebration. Diverse school uniforms and banners add color to the slowly advancing wall of youngsters, who sway rhythmically to the sound of drums and trumpets. One, two, one, two…like a giant caterpillar they push on through the city.
Giant caterpillars? Drums and trumpets? Are these connected to sponsorship?
Not really.
But the occasion reminds me of how – thanks to the generosity and effort of our sponsors and donors – our sponsored children are also celebrating a second independence, and this celebration is not limited to any day of any month of the year. As far as I know, these kids could very well be marching up and down their homes everyday of the year from the mere joy of knowing that sponsorship has granted each of them an opportunity to gain independence from the virtually inescapable shackles of extreme poverty.
Posted on behalf of David Nebel. Photos courtesy of bandasdemarcha.com and marrder.com/htw.
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