The realm of social action and tzedakah is vast and intimidating. Many of us stand in the face of suffering, grief and oppression and wonder how on earth we could make even the smallest difference. You can imagine, then, that when I learned about these two teenagers, each of whom is making a difference in the lives of literally hundreds—even thousands—of refugees in Darfur, I wasn’t only humbled—I was floored.
The air conditioning was humming along as 50 teenagers squeaked in their chairs, put away their iPods and turned off their cell phones. After about 15 minutes, I turned to my friend next to me and whispered to him, "I want to go." He looked a little confused since we were sitting in a very engaging presentation. "Where?" he asked. I am not one to leave presentations, even boring ones (which were extremely rare at Summer JAM). I replied, "Africa. Sudan. Darfur. Chad. Now. I want to be a doctor."
This spring, the Students Taking Action Now: Darfur (STAND) chapter at Amherst Regional High School (ARHS) in Amherst, Mass. was looking for a fundraiser that would pack a punch. The STAND club sold T-shirts and held bake sales, but none of these events seemed to hold the students' interest.
