Fun before funds at junior high

Literature states, "The Otesha Project is a youth-run charitable organization that uses theatre to mobilize young people to create local and global change through their daily consumer choices. In order to reach this aim, our cycling theatre troupes deliver Otesha's educational programs throughout Canada to schools, to provincial parks and to community audiences alike. The Rising Tide Team will be our 12th tour since the Otesha Project started in 2003. The team started in Halifax and will continue on through 1,700 kilometres to end in St. John, traveling only by bicycle and living as sustainably as they can."

The junior high school’s fall fundraiser involves selling environmentally friendly light bulbs, night lights and showerheads. A press release states, “Our students should have the accompanying papers from our school. “This year we have the environment in mind while trying to raise funds for the various extracurricular activities we offer at school. Conserve Nova Scotia is helping us with our fund raiser and they assure us that if people buy these products, the consumer will conserve energy and save money.”

According to Conserve Nova Scotia, using one of the bulbs will save $40 to $70 per year and uses 75 per cent less electricity. The night light doesn’t have an actual light to change and will only cost 16 cents per year to operate.

The showerhead will reduce hot water flow by 35 per cent without compromising shower pressure, resulting in savings of up to $50 per year.

The release states, “So, this small investment will not only benefit our school extracurricular activities, but will be a significant saving to those who buy these products. We thank the community for their support and if any of the larger companies in our area want to get in on the fantastic savings and wish to bulk purchase, we are more than willing to accommodate them.”

Otesha is a Swahili word, which is the native language of Kenya, and means "reason to dream." This name was chosen as the project began in Kenya, and the co-founders' experience there inspired them to start Otesha.

The web address is www.otesha.ca