The Pencil Project

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The Pencil Project: Education, Africa and America—-
By Azell Cavaan—-

Somewhere among the safaris, lakes and mountains of beautiful Kenya is a school room that bears the name of Springfield’s own DeBerry School. Separated by nearly 9,000 miles, the schools are forever linked – thanks to a Springfield Public Schools teacher.
Catherine Kabochi has taught third grade at DeBerry School for 13 years. A native of Kenya, she moved to the United States with her husband and two daughters in 1996. “When we arrived, we didn’t even have a spoon,” said Kabochi. “I’m living proof of what’s possible if you work hard. You can make something from nothing here in America.”
Though she was a teacher in Kenya, it wasn’t until Kabochi came to America that she aggressively pursued her career. Today, she holds a bachelor’s degree and a master’s degree in education. In addition to her elementary teaching job, she teaches an education course at Holyoke Community College and is a visiting lecturer at Springfield College.
Kabochi’s African roots still run deep after all these years. Her favorite months are the warm ones that she can spend cultivating her garden. “Back home, we grow everything we eat and I still love fresh fruits and vegetables,” she said. Kikuya (her native language) and Swahili still roll effortlessly off her tongue and her flawless English offers an ever-so-faint accent. But most important is the spirit of community that Kabochi shares with Springfield’s African community. “Africans believe strongly in supporting one another,” said Kabochi. “We celebrate the good times and help each other through the hard times.”
It’s that cultural tradition of helping others that led Kabochi to start The Pencil Project four years ago. While volunteering at an elementary school in Kenya during a month-long visit back home, she noticed the stubs students were using for writing utensils. Not only were the pencils worn down, they were scarce. When Kabochi returned to Springfield, she began collecting pencils and sending them to Kenyan schools.
“You wouldn’t believe how happy the children are for something as simple as a pencil – something that we take for granted,” Kabochi said.
The DeBerry staff jumped at the opportunity to help. Pencil donations began pouring in from organizations throughout the City. To date, Kabochi has mailed hundreds of thousands of pencils to schools in her native Kenya.
But the surprise was on her during a visit last year when she saw that a school had named its library after the Springfield school that supplied their pencils.
“It was a great feeling,” said Kabochi. “It connected three things I truly love: education, Africa and America.” ■

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