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Along the back hallway of North Berkeley’s Jefferson Elementary School, the teacher and 20 students of Room 203 have mounted a display on the recent South Asia earthquake and tsunami. 

Next to a globe with a cardboard arrow pointing to the epicenter of the disaster in the Indian Ocean, a student has written a brief explanation: “A tsunami,” it reads, “is a big wall of water!” 

Another student has drawn two pictures, before and after—one depicting a pastoral scene with a tower and a coconut palm, a second showing the same scene now covered by thick brown lines of water or mud. 

Another display is a letter by 8-year-old Carlin X. Hudson to an imaginary young person in Sumatra which attempts to summarize the tragedy in more detail: “Indonesia must be very unhappy right now. I am very sorry about what happened in the tsunami. I hope all of your loved ones didn’t die.” And then, in conclusion, a message of hope: “You’re not alone. I am with you. We will do whatever we can to help. I wish you the best during this very sad and horrific time.” 

The students of Room 203 at Jefferson Elementary School are, indeed, doing what they can to help. 

In three days since returning from the holiday break, students in Sean Keller’s third grade class have raised close to $1,300 for South Asia disaster relief. 

“We’re bringing in money that we’ve gotten from our parents and our other relatives,” Carlin told visitors to the school on a rainy Friday afternoon. “Students are bringing in $5 and $20, and one person even brought in $200 at one time. But if each person in Berkeley gave only $1, there would be a lot of money. It’s nice to help other people. And if you need help, it’s nice to feel that people are helping you.” 

Another student, Katiri Williams, 8, said in a quiet voice that the contributions were needed to help disaster victims “because they should be able to have a home to live in; they should have food and clothing.” Williams, added that she “felt very sorry for the people who may have died or been injured.” 

Essy Robinson-Abrams, 9, selected by Keller as a co-spokesperson for the drive because she has been to Bali, has been leaving voicemail messages urging citizens to support the effort. Bright-eyed and direct, she is mature beyond her age. “I think it’s good that we’re helping,” she said. “It’s sad that people died in Indonesia and Sri Lanka—” she pauses to try to remember the names of the other countries— “and all of the other places.” 

Keller said that the fund-raising effort came out of a class session to talk about the disaster. 

“I asked them what they wanted to do to help,” he said. “We tossed around a number of ideas—a rummage sale, clothing donations, an auction, a bake sale—and we finally came up with raising the money and giving it to a relief organization. On the first day I set what I thought was a lofty goal—$1,000—and afterwards I wondered why I set it that high. But, of course, the students came through on their own and surpassed it in a couple of days. I’ve stepped back from it now and let them take the lead.” 

Keller said the money would be sent to the Save The Children, a Connecticut-based nonprofit (www.savethechildren.org), one of the international-aid groups involved in the disaster relief effort. 

He said a second class at Jefferson has begun working on a fundraising project on their own, and that money raised by other classes is being funneled into Room 203. “We’ve become the hub of the activity,” he added. 

Jefferson principal Betty Delaney said the school has not yet decided when it will gather al the funds together and send them off. “I understand there are other fund-raising efforts being organized throughout the school district,” she said. “We’re still looking into whether we are going to work with the district in a combined effort, or simply send the money straight off, ourselves.” 

Meanwhile, she said she was “thrilled” at the students’ activities. “It’s just marvelous that they’re taking the initiative to work on something like this,” she said. “I’m very proud of them.”"