By Staff

May 10, 2017:  On April 19, seniors Ellie Walsh and Lucy Hanrahan held an art show in the auditorium lobby at the Bronxville High School. The show was put on to raise awareness, as well as fundraise, for Janada L. Batchelor Foundation for Children (JBFC), an orphanage for girls in Tanzania. The art show displayed photos taken by Hanrahan, Walsh, and Nan Carpenter, as well as drawings that Walsh produced in her AP art concentration, which focused on feelings evoked by the children at JBFC.

Walsh and Hanrahan's interest in fundraising for JBFC came after they visited Tanzania for two weeks this past summer. They saw firsthand just how important the "home" was to all the girls who lived there.

"The girls who live at JBFC all come from an abandoned or abused backgrounds. Some were left on the streets alone at a very young age. JBFC serves as a home and school, giving the girls a healthy environment to live in," explained Walsh. "The girls live in dorms with six other girls and a mama. They treat each other as family and are extremely welcoming when a new girl arrives."

Artwork by Ellie Walsh

All the girls who live at JBFC attend the Joseph and Mary School, which is part of the JBFC campus. The primary school was founded in 2010 with the help of Jim Agnello, a guidance counselor in the Bronxville Middle School. The school is named in memory of Agnello's parents, Joseph and Mary. Walsh and Hanrahan were able to help teach and assist in the classrooms during their stay.

The school has grown to 280 primary students and 120 secondary students. It is much less expensive than most private schools in the area and serves both girls and boys. It provides a much better education than the public schools in Tanzania, which may have up to 1,000 students with only three teachers for the whole school.

As the Bronxville girls helped and assisted the teachers at the school, they could not help notice that many rooms had concrete floors. When the students were gathered in a circle on the floor, seated for storytime or for learning a new math lesson, it was very uncomfortable. It was this experience that got Walsh thinking about how to raise funds to help pay for tile floors. "Tile floors don't seem like much to most of us, but when you don't have them, it makes a difference," said Walsh.

Two weeks ago, Walsh and Hanrahan were successful in their fundraising for JBFC. They were able to raise over $2,400 selling their artwork, which told the story of the wonderful children they met in Tanzania during the summer of 2016. The best part of the event was their special guests: Chris Gates, the founder of JBFC, and two girls from the home who are top students in their class and were chosen to go on a tour of the United States. Bronxville was the last stop on their trip, so they were able to enjoy the evening with their new Bronxville friends.

Ellie Walsh (far right) and Lucy Hanrahan (middle back)

"JBFC is like no place I have ever been before," said Walsh. "There was so much happiness and a strong sense of community and family, which was very special."

Please click here if you would like to donate or learn more about the JBFC girls' home and Joseph and Mary School.

Pictured here (at top): Artwork by Ellie Walsh.