By Kimberly Prather, Student Reporter

Poverty Link is starting the semester with a Kenya celebration that will take place on Feb. 21, accompanied with food and speakers.

This semester there will be four cultural-themed sessions, including Kenyan, Eastern European, Asian and the fourth session concluding with an end-of-the-semester celebration.

Poverty Link is a student organization established in 2007. Since then, the sessions are put together to allow the international community and students to unite.

“The sessions will bring students together to share and learn about other cultures, not just about poverty but the traditions and food,” said Ben Dubose, senior business management major from Forth Worth and president of Poverty Link.

Andrew Conway, sophomore business management major from Nairobi, along with native Kenyans will speak about their country’s culture and traditions.

“This is going to be my personal favorite because with Kenya right now there is a bunch of political turmoil that is going on, and we are going to talk about how we can pray for them and if there are specific fundraisers we can do here to help with the ministry and the people there,” Dubose said.

Eastern Europe is the second session that will take place on March 27. The third theme is Asian and will take place on April 17.

Native food of the country will be served, and a native speaker will speak about the culture at every session.

The fourth session involves Poverty Link and what it will be doing all semester long in working with International Rescue Committee of Abilene, teaching English to refugees and tutoring refugee children in anyway that they can. The last session would be a celebration with the families they assisted.

Dubose said Poverty Link wants to possibly start up another project with International Rescue Committee where they provide finances and materials for the refugees to make some of their native crafts and then sell them in the United States to help the families.

Sponsor of Poverty Link and professor of management sciences Dr. Monty Lynn, said how his involvement with the organization started while teaching his International Poverty and Development class.

“My involvement with Poverty Link grew out of a growing interest with student social justice,” Lynn said.

Poverty Link’s mission is dedication to mobilizing students to restore dignity to poverty-stricken communities through sustainable local and international efforts. They invite all students to come to every session to participate in the mission. Every session is at 8 p.m.

“Poverty Link is a good avenue for people to get to know others, to get informed and it builds a sense of community. That is the whole point of the
sessions,” Dubose said.