High School Students Create 'Loose Change Challenge' To Build School In Kenya

BLOOMFIELD HILLS  (WWJ) - Two schools that are traditional rivals are teaming up to help build a new school for kids in Kenya.

Students from Cranbrook Schools and Detroit Country Day are engaging in a "Loose Change Challenge" to raise money to build a school in Kenya.

"When we went it was really amazing what these kids were doing there and how light and happy everyone was despite the fact they were living in such poor conditions," said Cranbrook junior Emman Ponicall.

Ponicall helped to start the "Loose Change Challenge" after a mission trip to Kenya with her mom in 2014 and felt the natural rivalry between the two schools would work to the benefit of the challenge.

Claire Brophy a student at Cranbrook wants to help others get the same opportunities she's had.

"I feel like I'm really blessed with a lot of opportunities that Cranbrook provides me, and to see pictures and hear about how unfortunate some of the situations these kids were in, just made me sad, and I wanted to help out in any way I could," said Brophy.

"They have such big dreams," she beamed,"I want to help make that possible because I know that it's really hard to do that from a dirt floor -- with no really structured education -- I want to give them the opportunities I have."

"Going to Cranbrook and having the education and opp that I've had -- I really want to give that or close to that opportunity to other kids."

"I was shocked -- the kids didn't have a lot of opportunities," said Country Day 10th Grader Lauren Boos."Their school was a dirt floor and they barely had walls so when I was there for the dorm we all felt like we needed to help more."

The students have raised $40,000 to help build the school, which has a price tag of around $75,000.

To donate, you can go to the letter rturn.org.