The privilege of living in Canada is not lost on Jerika Caduhada, a Grade 12 student at McMath secondary.
That’s why she and a dedicated group of fellow classmates, as well as colleagues from across the Lower Mainland, have concluded the most successful charity drive of their young, non-profit organization Uniform Dream Society, which provides school uniforms and supplies to impoverished, underprivileged students around the world.
“Canada is known as a nation of immigrants, so a lot of us still have a lot of connections to other places. So this is a way to give back,” said Jerika.
The society was founded in 2013 by students, most of whom come from newly-immigrated families.
The society has, to date, focused on schools in Asia, as projects tend to have a personal connection to its high school members, who have established branches in six schools across the Lower Mainland, including at McMath.
Uniform Dream Society has helped properly clothe young students in: New Delhi, India; Guizhou, China; Han Zhong, China; Anhui, China and, now, Bacolod City, Philippines.
The latter project is the biggest of them all, with students having raised close to $10,000 for uniforms and some supplies for the 800 students at Luis Puentabella elementary school.
The donation has a personal connection to Jerika, herself a Filipino-Canadian.
“A lot of the parents have low-paying jobs and the students face a lot of challenges at school, such as malnutrition and poverty. The school itself doesn’t have many up-to-date facilities,” explained Jerika, who pitched the school to the society after speaking to a family member who suggested helping Luis Puentabella.
It’s those family connections that help create bonds between the students’ lives in Canada and their former homeland.
Grade 12 McMath student and society president Carol Wang said she recalls wearing a school uniform in China, prior to moving to Canada at a young age. She said in most Asian countries, uniforms are required and not having one can result in social problems for a student. Plus, uniforms are a good equalizer among the students and they are more culturally acceptable than in the West.
Brian Colbert, of Prince of Wales secondary school in Vancouver, said Uniform Dream Society was the right fit for him to contribute some of his free time to.
“I know there are a lot of non-profits out there but I like how this is really specific. I can also relate because my mom in her childhood grew up in a poor village [in China] and had similar struggles pursuing an education herself,” said Brian.
Now in its fifth year, the society is run by students in Grades 11 and 12, who annually seek new members, who tend to have a strong passion for global affairs, education and volunteer work.
Wang said she wants to expand the society’s reach to include local projects.
More info at UniformDream.org.
