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- PUMPKIN POWER
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- Voices of Our World
Part One: PUMPKIN POWER When Maryknoll priest Father Richard Bauer was assigned as Executive Director of Catholic AIDS Action, the Church's outreach ministry in Namibia, he knew he'd need to assemble an "A" team. The 1st candidate on his list was MaryBeth Gallagher, whom he'd met in his Maryknoll orientation class in 1996. Rick wrote to MaryBeth that he’d not only pay her airfare to Namibia but then to anywhere she wanted to go if she were not convinced Namibia was where she was needed most. Bauer was right and his friend MaryBeth had found her new home. Her 1st year or so she struggled to make games out of scrap cardboard for the hundreds of AIDS orphans and vulnerable kids the CAA’s Bernard Nordcamp Center feeds and cares for daily. She had even tried to get a group of little girls stirred-up over soccer but on a gravel playing field and without uniforms or proper shoes. But when MaryBeth returned to the U.S. to encourage donations, a young American team donated shoes and their bright orange uniforms and MaryBeth flew back to Namibia knowing "the Little Pumpkins" would be born!
Part Two: 3 TROPHIES and 15 SMILES So, the right shoes and a sea of orange fabric brought 15 little Namibian girls to life. They took their new found pride to the field and when you meet them today all 15 "Little Pumpkins" smile from ear to ear and point to the 3 gold cups they’ve won sitting in a glass case at the Bernard Nordcamp Center.
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Related Pieces
Piece Description
Part One: PUMPKIN POWER When Maryknoll priest Father Richard Bauer was assigned as Executive Director of Catholic AIDS Action, the Church's outreach ministry in Namibia, he knew he'd need to assemble an "A" team. The 1st candidate on his list was MaryBeth Gallagher, whom he'd met in his Maryknoll orientation class in 1996. Rick wrote to MaryBeth that he’d not only pay her airfare to Namibia but then to anywhere she wanted to go if she were not convinced Namibia was where she was needed most. Bauer was right and his friend MaryBeth had found her new home. Her 1st year or so she struggled to make games out of scrap cardboard for the hundreds of AIDS orphans and vulnerable kids the CAA’s Bernard Nordcamp Center feeds and cares for daily. She had even tried to get a group of little girls stirred-up over soccer but on a gravel playing field and without uniforms or proper shoes. But when MaryBeth returned to the U.S. to encourage donations, a young American team donated shoes and their bright orange uniforms and MaryBeth flew back to Namibia knowing "the Little Pumpkins" would be born!
Part Two: 3 TROPHIES and 15 SMILES So, the right shoes and a sea of orange fabric brought 15 little Namibian girls to life. They took their new found pride to the field and when you meet them today all 15 "Little Pumpkins" smile from ear to ear and point to the 3 gold cups they’ve won sitting in a glass case at the Bernard Nordcamp Center.
Timing and Cues
OPTIONAL CUTAWAY CUE: "You're listening to Voices of Our World" at 14:00.
END CUE: "And please be sure to join us next time for more Voices of Our World." at 28:00.
Musical Works
| Title | Artist | Album | Label | Year | Length |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Don’t Ever Stop | Ubaka Hill | 00:00 | |||
| God Bless the Child | Chris Boti and Paula Cole or George Benson and Al Jarreau | 00:00 | |||
| Motherless Child | Richie Havens | 00:00 | |||
| Scatterlings | Johnny Clegg and Savuka | 00:00 | |||
| Wenyukelia | Ladysmith Black Mombasa | 00:00 |
Additional Credits
Host: Eileen Bott
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