An important lesson for schools, parents
Schools reopen in less than two weeks and we are in a position to make this year better than ever, simply by making a choice of conscience. Instead of rushing to buy our children, nephews and grandchildren back-to-school products of dubious quality, adorned with fantasy monsters that have been popularized on television, why not make a more ethical choice and opt for United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) goods? UNICEF’s Athens store on Mavili Square, and many others across the country, offer a range of wonderful notebooks, jotting pads, pens, pencils, pencil cases and satchels. The notebooks are also on sale at certain bank branches and post offices. So, what are the potential benefits of buying a schoolbag and pencil case from UNICEF at the cost of around 40 euros? Apart from anything else, that money is enough to provide two Nepalese girls with all the material they need to attend school for an entire year. Of course, this is just a small contribution to UNICEF’s massive undertaking, which is that of saving millions of children from starvation or sickness. If the government ever distributes guidelines to state schools, or private schools decide to start ordering their supplies in bulk from UNICEF, that would be ideal. In the meantime, the sum total of our individual contributions is enough…
