“From the lips of children you have ordained praise.” ~ Matthew 21:16 This piece of scripture came to mind when I first heard the story of nine-year-old Benjamin Sherman of North Texas. Coincidentally I found the same scripture on his website, Gregory’s Paper Airplane. Already a published author of a book with the same name, the idea to donate a portion of the proceeds to two individual humanitarian aid organizations didn’t come as a surprise to Ben’s parents. They had known for some time they had a very exceptional child on their hands.
A writing career begins early
Ben’s mom and dad recognized their son had a way with words early on because, at four years old, he was already astonishing friends and family with his ability to recite Maurice Sendak’s, Where the Wild Things Are, word for word. Not long after, Ben was writing and creating his own books by stapling handwritten pages together. At a time when other children might be playing video games and sitting in front of the family television Ben was spending a fair amount of time writing. By the age of eight, Ben had written over 100 books and opened a bookstore in his room. He proudly invited friends, family and teachers to visit and peruse his selection of uniquely handcrafted books.
A book idea is born
After Ben heard a particularly moving story in church about enslaved and oppressed Cambodian children he was moved to write a book about it. Originally titled How a Guy Made Earth Beter By a Flyght of a Paper Airplane, the book was edited slightly with some help from his dad, and in 2010 became Gregory’s Paper Airplane. The illustrations were done by Shawn McCann. A portion of the proceeds on any sales go to Agape International Missions and the International Justice Mission.
Ben’s project and CNN’s Freedom Project come together
Ben’s quest to help enslaved and tortured Cambodian children caught the attention of local news stations as well as The Brief with Tom Clancy on CNN. In hope of further spreading the word, CNN’s Freedom Project has challenged those who want to get involved to create their own paper airplanes and write one of the following statistics on one wing:
- Each year between 600,000 and 800,000 human beings are captured and transported across international borders.
- There are at least 10 million slaves in the world today.
- There are more slaves now than at any point in human history.
Participants are encouraged to then write their own personal message of hope for victims on the other wing and add their name. Planes can be shared through photos and videos submitted to CNN.
Anyone at any age can make a difference
Ben is proof that anyone can make a difference. What could be more touching and poignant than a child helping other children through his words? But, whether nine or 99, educating ourselves and becoming involved are important first steps. Ben has chosen to allow a portion of the proceeds from his book’s sales to go towards helping Cambodian children via the two organizations listed above. The Freedom Project’s mission is to end modern day slavery in all countries and discusses the issue in depth on their website. Concerned citizens from all walks of life are encouraged to visit and get involved. As Ben said in his CNN interview, You can make a difference no matter how old you are. You can do something big at any age.
Susan Barton - Susan Barton writes articles, Web content and more. Please visit her at http://www.lovesleftovers.com and ...
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