Flandreau School
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Students in Flandreau know that some of their classmates go to bed hungry each night and they are grateful for what they understand is a steady stream of resources available through the school, the community and organizations like Second Harvest to reach these families. Many have helped over the years, in fact, with the school’s own backpack program — the school and community for years now have partnered to send a backpack with nutritious food options home with children in need so that they hopefully don’t go hungry over for the weekend when school breakfasts and lunches aren’t available.
Typically, students believe that there is assistance available and it is fairly easy to access.
They’ve learned recently though that not everyone is so lucky.
“It’s important to help in any way you can,” said Justin Haugen, a Flandreau 8th grader, as he stood in front of a food weighing station in the Armory. Haugen was among hundreds of students this past week that had the opportunity to help bag up portioned amounts of soy, dried vegetables, vitamins and minerals and rice bound for the Central American country of Nicaragua.
Two absolutely devastating hurricanes in just the past couple of years along with “one of the worst dictatorships in the world,” according to comments from the European Union’s foreign policy chief just this past week, have created a catastrophic if not deadly situation for residents there. Food is scarce as are many other resources. Aid is increasingly diverted or confiscated. Any opposition to the current President, Daniel Ortega or his government, can result in severe repercussions, including jail. The country is slated to hold general elections in just a couple of weeks but world leaders fear Ortega’s actions will undermine the process and result in further chaos and devastation.