Dante Battilana gives all of his savings to UNICEF
BY LAVERNE STEWART
STEWART.LAVERNE@DAILYGLEANER.COM
What began as a lesson in counting money has turned into an act of kindness and generosity that will save lives.
To teach her son how to count coins, Tracy Battilana had been giving seven-year-old Dante some change a couple of times each week to count before they put it into a savings container.
The agreement was that whatever money he counted throughout the school year he could use next summer for something special. But this Grade 3 student, who attends Garden Creek Elementary School, has other plans for the money.
“I know that there are kids out there that need it more than me. I have mostly everything I really need,” he says.
Moved to tears by her son’s selflessness and desire to help others, she wrote a letter to his teacher to share the news about his desire to give the $25 that he’s saved to give to UNICEF.
His family added to this amount. In total, he’s donated $112 to this organization. His mother gives credit to the school and its teachers for helping the children understand there are many children in the world who are less fortunate.
“I wanted to thank Mrs. DeCourcey and all teachers for showing these children to care for others.”
That thank-you letter was passed on to the Garden Creek Elementary’s vice-principal. Dawn DeCourcey says she thought this boy’s act of kindness and generosity needed to be encouraged and celebrated.
She forwarded the letter to the UNICEF office in Toronto to let them know that he and the other children at this school are dedicated to helping others in developing nations.
“I sent it (Tracy Battilana’s letter) on to them because I wanted them to know about this good thing and that this is working.
“We share with our kids about what’s happening with children in other places in the world so the kids become a little bit more aware of how fortunate they are and how there are boys and girls everywhere that have the same hopes and dreams as they do. They need the same things that we need; they need food and water and shelter and healthcare and they all want to go to school.”
To recognize Dante Battilana’s act of generosity, he and the other students at his school received a special visit from UNICEF Canada ambassador Solange Tuyishime.
She wanted to tha
nk Dante and all of his schoolmates for their efforts to help safe lives by donating money to this organization.
She told him that his money and other funds raised for UNICEF provides tents, bug nets, food, clean water, medicines and school supplies to people in developing countries. Tuyishime knows how important this is.
When she was a girl, her family was caught up in the violence of civil war in Africa. In the early 1990s, her family was in Rwanda where there was extreme violence. They were homeless and hungry while searching for a safe haven from the strife. As refugees, they were crowded into areas with thousands of other displaced families.
Without food, water and sanitation, many, including her great-grandmother, died from diseases such as cholera.
She recalls hunger and thirst. She used to walk 10 miles for water. But no matter how desperate things were, she says, she always dreamed of a better life and what she wanted to be someday.
Tuyishime and her family received live-saving help from UNICEF.
“When I was a refugee, as a young child, they helped us a lot. That’s why I work with them (UNICEF) now. As a refugee, you leave your home and you are in the middle of nowhere with no food and no water and no place to sleep.
“They gave us a tent, clean water and food which are all of the important tools you need to survive.”
Her family immigrated to Canada in 1996 and they made their home here in Fredericton. She knew she wanted to do something to give back when she was older.
Now she lives in Ottawa where she has a career with the federal government.
She has won many titles at pageants, including Miss Canada International, and she is also an ambassador for this organization.
She met with all of the students in the school to praise their efforts to help others in the world who live in poverty.
“I am here to thank them for all of the great things they are doing for children around the world. We are truly grateful for all they are doing.”
Tuyishime says she first learned of Dante Battilana’s story in an email she received from UNICEF. She was greatly moved by his selflessness and thought how great it would be if everyone would behave more like this boy. She wanted to thank him for recognizing that the money he’d been saving for himself could be better used for children in need. Before she spoke to his class earlier this week, she spent some time with him.
“I want to thank you for all of the wonderful things you are doing. Everyone is so impressed with you and you are making a huge difference in many kids’ lives. They will get to go to school, they will get to sleep in a safe place, because of people like you. Somewhere far from here there are kids saying ‘Thank you Dante.’ They will know who you are because this is a story we will share with the UNICEF children,” she told him.
Dante is determined to continue to save his money for UNICEF. Whatever he manages to save will be gladly given by a boy who knows just how fortunate he is and how wonderful it is to be able to help others.