Medea Creek students gain inspiration from a book
By Sophia Fischer sfischer@theacorn.com

Inspiration can be found in many different ways. For a group of Medea Creek Middle School students in Oak Park, it came from a book.

After reading "Three Cups of Tea" by Greg Mortenson and David Oliver Relin, members of the school's Community Service Club, California Junior Scholarship Federation, and other campus clubs wanted to do something to help others.

The book tells how Mortenson, an American, was cared for by a small Pakistani village after becoming ill during a climb of K2, the world's second highest mountain. In exchange, Mortenson promised to build the impoverished community's first school.

His efforts at overcoming cultural differences and the poverty of the region grew into the creation of the Central Asia Institute and the construction of more than 50 schools in remote, underserved areas of rural Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Medea Creek Assistant Principal Amanda Bagheri introduced the book to students, who decided to hold a tea to benefit Mortenson's Central Asia Institute.

The tea will be held Sun., April 13 at Medea Creek, 1002 Doubletree Road, Oak Park. Participants can choose to attend from 2 to 2:45 p.m. or 3 to 3:45 p.m. The $12 cost represents the price of sending one child to an institute school for one year.

There will be a presentation about the Central Asia Institute, which is continuing to build schools. Besides tea there will be sandwiches and scones.

Eighth-grader Devyn Gortner is inspired by the knowledge that anyone, regardless of age, can make a difference. She hopes to raise enough money to send many children to school.

"It's amazing how little it costs to send a child to school for a year," Devyn said.

"I learned that when children, and especially girls, get educated at least through the eighth grade, villages are improved. Positive changes, like a decrease in domestic abuse, decreases in birth rates, decreases in poverty and increases in productivity, occur."

Devyn was awarded a $100 Tri-County GATE grant to pay for expenses associated with the tea.

The Medea Creek Community Service Club was formed five years ago. The group's past projects include donating school supplies to children through Many Mansions, making Valentine's Day cards and collecting supplies for the Los Angeles Veterans Hospital, making baby blankets for disadvantaged infants, providing supplies to the animal shelter and beautifying the school campus.

The book's title refers to a proverb from the Baltistan region where the institute focuses its work: The first time you share tea with a Balti, you are a stranger. The second time, you are an honored guest. The third time you become family.

For more information, call Bagheri at Medea Creek at (818) 707-7922.