November 3, 2005

Almaden teens raise money to help victims of famine in Niger

By Lorraine Gabbert
Staff Writer

A thousand lives were recently saved in Niger—a West African country suffering a severe famine—thanks to the drive and determination of some Almaden teenagers and the generosity of local residents.

Lila Rose, 17, and Nathan Zebrowski, 18, couldn’t turn their backs on the suffering in Niger. They organized a relief effort that raised $35,000 locally for relief for the victims of one of the most severe famines in recent history.

Other worldwide and nationwide disasters have drained the flow of money to the people in Niger, but thanks to those who recently reached into their wallets, at least some of the West African people on the brink of starvation will be saved.

When drought and a massive locust invasion devastated crops, an estimated 3.6 million people, including 800,000 children, were left in critical need of food until October’s harvest. The famine, which had been going on for the past year, reached a crisis level in September. Exacerbating the situation, the prices of basic commodities tripled, leaving families across West Africa struggling to survive.

When 18-year-old Almaden resident Nathan Zebrowski learned of their plight, he knew that time was of the essence, and galvanized friends to aid him in a life-saving fund-raising campaign, gathering $35,000 in the process.

“This famine was virtually ignored worldwide and people were starving,” said Zebrowski, who, with the assistance of Lila Rose, 17, and their friends, researched ways he could make a difference. Since starvation was such an immediate threat, they determined that the fastest way to help would be to channel funds through an efficient existing network.

In establishing the Niger Famine Relief Fund and partnering with World Vision, an international Christian relief organization, they found the solution they were searching for.

Zebrowski had faith in World Vision, having worked with them while volunteering with Youth of the Mission in Ethiopia. “They are trustworthy,” he said, “and have integrity with their funds, which go towards food, education and medical supplies.” With 120 food banks, World Vision is also the number-one distributor of food in Niger.

The next step was to involve the community in the fundraising process. Along with about 15 friends, Zebrowski and Rose distributed thousands of pamphlets they created from scratch, focusing on the famine in Niger. “The country depends on relief efforts to survive until the next season’s crop,” read the pamphlet. “Without immediate financial support, World Vision’s efforts will fall short—and the cost will be measured in human lives.”

For Zebrowski and Rose, helping others not only comes naturally, but is a responsibility they believe we all share.

“In America, if our neighbors were starving, we would help keep them alive,” she said. “We needed to connect our country’s resources with these beautiful people who needed our help,” added Zebrowski.

In Niger, $35 American could save a person’s life for a month, and $350 could sustain an entire family through the famine. “We live in America and have so many riches, but when you look around the world, you see so much need,” said Rose. “When you’ve been given an opportunity to reach out and help another human being, why wouldn’t you? Especially when so little can help so much.”

In a race against time, the Niger Famine Relief Fund team raised about $14,000 selling See’s Candy door-to-door, setting up tables at Safeway supermarket, doing direct mailings and otherwise requesting donations from the community—but they were determined to do more.

Their fund-raising efforts culminated in one amazing evening where they more than doubled their contribution to World Vision by simultaneously holding a benefit dinner at the Foothill Country Club in Saratoga and a benefit concert at Saratoga Federated Church.

The benefit concert, which featured local bands like Sherwood, Fighting Jacks, and Zebrowski’s band, Florentine, raised $1,000 from local youth. The benefit dinner, which featured impassioned speeches by World Vision staff and inspired performances by Niger Famine Relief Fund youth, raised about $20,000.

“Sharing in this experience with other youth was really powerful,” said Rose. “We were committed.”

At the benefit dinner, the teens sang songs they wrote about the famine, played harp and entertained the audience with skits. Rose says she appreciates all her team did to raise funds that evening, including a poignant description by Brennon Johnson of his recent relief trip to Niger. “His description of the suffering he saw there was so powerful,” said Rose. “It moved a lot of hearts.”

The highlight of the evening came at 3 a.m. for Zebrowski and Rose when they started opening donation envelopes together. “It was so wonderful!” said Rose. Instead of the $20 donations they expected, they received checks for hundreds of dollars. “I opened mine first and it was for $500,” said Rose, “and then Nathan opened his and it was for another $500! We had about 50 to 100 more envelopes to go, and they were all filled with checks for $200 to $1,000. We were overwhelmed by the goodness of these people and how excited they were about this project.”

For Zebrowski and Rose, caring for others worldwide is a part of their worldview. “To live in America and be moved by a picture of a starving child in Niger,” he said, “and want to feed that child because he is another human being is a simple truth.”

They hope that what they started, others will carry on. “We want to encourage other youth and the community to get involved and make a difference in the world,” said Rose, “and let people know about World Vision and what they can do to help.”

“People in our community were generous,” concluded Zebrowski, “and because of that, people are alive right now.”

To find out more about relief efforts in Niger and in other countries, visit the World Vision Web site at: www.worldvision.org, call 1-800-777-5777, or mail donations to: Niger Relief, 6275 Mojave Drive, San Jose, CA 95120.