The Ah Mu Academy.

At each flea market, we like to focus on a different non profit or group in need that is connected to a local here in Salt Lake. In May we teamed up with The Empowerment Project [via Megan McMillian] and in June we worked with the Ching Farm Rescue and Sanctuary [via Kristiina Stromness] to not only raise funding for both of these groups, but also more awareness that they exist and are in need of our help.

For August, our focus goes a little bit further than Salt Lake City...

The coming of August usually means the end of summer fun and the start of school.
Back to college for most, high school for some, and those with kids, back to PTA meetings, parent teacher conferences and the headache of 3rd grade math problems.

Although we might complain about the stress of school, it is definitely something we take for granted.
However, there a plenty of people around the world who are not so lucky.

The Ah Mu Academy located in Samoa, and is named after my great-great-grandfather, a Chinese immigrant to Samoa who donated the land that the Presega Primary (elementary) School was originally built on.

"In 2004 the Pesega Primary School was determined to be inadequate and was torn down...

The government of Samoa was not able to absorb the children into the existing schools. Families who could afford it, have sent their students to other private schools in the Apia area but many children and families were without educational facilities.

Several teachers and other interested parties have developed 2 schools in the area which have persevered in the educating of these students. These schools have been valiant in their efforts but lacked the funds necessary to build a proper facility. They have a combined enrollment in excess of 300 students. They are accommodated in houses, fale and other inadequate structures."

Construction of The Ah Mu Academy was started in 2005 after Dr. Nafanua Paul Cox, a former LDS missionary to Samoa and prominent ethno-botanist visited the sites and was touched by the humble efforts to educate the children. Working on donations, The Ah Mu Foundation was formed to facilitate the building of the school.

The school is currently up and running, however there are still not enough supplies for the children to learn with. They either don't have, or run out of simple things like pencils, papers, books, and glue sticks, even the teachers are in need of adequate supplies to properly teach the children.

The 20lb Box Project has been set up by my father, Ra Puriri, to collect the needed supplies to help the children and the teachers at The Ah Mu Academy. It cost about $12 to send a 20lb box of supplies to American Samoa as domestic mail.

At the next Salty Streets Flea Market on August 1st, Salty Street Productions will be working with vendors and those in attendance to collect as many items for the boxes. We will continue to collect items throughout the month of August, in order to spread the word and get as many donations as possible.

We tend to take the little things for granted, like an outdated book, an old soccer ball, even a half used pencil. One little donation of a notepad and a box of colored pencils could make all the difference to an entire class of children.

If you are interested in putting together you own box, or bringing supplies for the boxes at the flea market, please look over the list below and see what you might have lying around your house/apt/or office. If you just so happen to bring an item or two to the flea market with you, we'll be taking donations in place of the entry fee.

• construction paper
• coloured cardboard
• poster paint and brushes
• merit stickers
• stamps or certificates for good work
• glue sticks and white glue
• children’s scissors
• basic dictionaries
• bulletin board supplies e.g. corrugated border
• alphabet and number cut-outs
• Blue-Tack, masking tape
• staples and staplers
• modelling clay
• colored pencils / crayons
• children's books
• file folder labels
• A4 laminating pouches
• felt markers and white-board markers
• hoops and cones for P.E.
• a volleyball net
• used tennis balls
• rulers, erasers
• pencil sharpeners

For more information about The Ah Mu Academy, visit their blog or Facebook page here:

- http://ahmuacademy.wordpress.com
- http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ahmu-Academy-Samoa/96024841931