Children and families in Burundi, Africa using stationery and supplies sent to them from the Coral and Blue Paper Co. in Saratoga Springs. Photo Maurice Karenzo and Ashley Campbell
SARATOGA SPRINGS – When Ashley Campbell sent Maurice Karenzo, a teacher friend of hers in the Republic of Burundi, stationery for his students, she didn’t expect what happened next.
The Coral and Blue Paper Co. founder figured it was just a kind gesture to a friend, but later learned from Karenzo – who she met through a global faith network online – that something “really amazing” had unfolded as a result.
“The kids are starting to write thank-you notes and tell stories in their letters and do artwork. And we've never had this before,” she said Karenzo told her.
Karenzo’s students in the east-central African country were taken by the simple, elementary-lined stationery because blank paper and art supplies are hard to come by for them. They viewed it as a “novelty,” Campbell said, something she was completely unaware of.
The students’ immense gratitude and positive response motivated Campbell and Karenzo to partner up and do more. They started a mission to bring art supplies and paper to all of Burundi through her company.
Today, a year later, the two friends have provided Burundi villages with loads of stationery and supplies, including writing instruments, clothes and more. Since the initial allocation, Karenzo was able to recruit four more teachers to help distribute materials to areas far from the school.
Campbell raises money locally in the Capital Region for her counterparts in Burundi to buy provisions within the country every couple of months.
St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, Campbell’s church, organized efforts to support the Burundi mission.
Brenda Streed, the church’s missions team leader, works within the community to spread the word about Coral and Blue’s global work and raise contributions for it. The church recently raised about $1,900 to send over for Christmas.
“It's a way for us in a very small way to just help those who are less fortunate,” Streed said.
Campbell initially bought the supplies here in the U.S. and shipped them out, but realized it was less expensive and more beneficial to purchase or print what was needed in Burundi to support its economy. And for whatever reason, the virus hasn’t caused severe supply chain disruptions there as it has domestically, Campbell noted, which has helped the operation run smoothly.
“It's been like something I've never seen before. It's been beautiful and amazing,” Campbell said.
Karenzo sends Campbell newsletters with photos and notes about how students are putting the goods they receive to use.
Children use the stationery to draw pictures and write thank-you notes. Several have used the cards to tell their parents how grateful they are for all they have. Others have used the paper as a therapeutic tool to deal with trauma stemming from a series of wars and instability in the region.
Several have written down the stories of their experiences and later read them aloud to one another, which has helped them cope, according to Campbell. She can recall a couple of instances when children wrote about their aspirations to become doctors and help others hurt by war.
Without many formal schools and several outdoor classrooms, you can see how the children will sit on rocks or lean on the ground to draw and write, she noted.
“They don't take those things for granted there. They really appreciate them. They put them to good use; the teachers do everything that they can to make sure that the kids are taken care of,” Campbell said.
In his latest letter, Karenzo said the effort reached about 116 families and 812 children, giving them clothes, shoes and sweets during December.
"Students have received with joy the supplies because they are in critical life of poverty caused by civil war passed in this country. They love people who help them because they don't usually expect it," Karenzo wrote to the Times Union in an email. "Supplies show them that there is someone who thinks and takes care of them."
Campbell acknowledged there are people closer to home and all over that need help. While she understands that, she said the need in Burundi is what “fell” into her lap.
“It feels like the world is just not that big,” she said. “I realized just how small the world actually is and how much we can impact people in another country by something as small as sending a gift, and then how easy it is actually to help people in other countries.” - Shayla Colon, Times Union
