Olga Nickel's goal is to send 1,000 school kits from Langley to needy children around the world this fall.

And she's well on her way to reaching that target thanks to help from a few hundred Langley residents, and a gaggle of Girl Guides from White Rock, explained Nickel, manager of the Mennonite Central Committee's Ten Thousand Villages store in downtown Langley City.

All the Sparks, Brownies, Girl Guides, Pathfinders, Rangers, and Guide leaders with the Peninsula District of Girl Guides of Canada are helping compile hundreds of drawstring bags filled with school supplies for children in Third World countries, explained the group's international advisor Leslie Payne.

Their contribution to this program began last year, with the Guides putting together about 100 kits after Payne serendipitously discovered the program while shopping in Ten Thousand Villages.

There wasn't enough time to put together a district-wide undertaking last year, but Payne was able to reach out and get a commitment from all the girls and women before this year's summer break. They're expected to compile 280 to 300 kits in mid-September.

"We do a lot of other things, but this is how we've chosen to start off our year," Payne said.

An initiative like the school kit program - which sees these bags sent to places where conflict and famine persist, such as Iraq, Haiti, Honduras, Nepal, Jordan, and Ukraine - is a perfect fit with the Guides' motto that includes helping those in need, and thinking and acting globally.

In some countries children are not allowed to attend classes without school supplies, Payne explained.

"This program will changes their lives," she added, noting that a few bucks worth of school supplies could be life altering - it can be the difference between them being able to attend school or not, and being able to learn to read or write, or not.

With this year's school kit program now well in hand, Payne said it's her goal to have other districts in B.C. jump aboard for 2011.

And this new project for the Guides has even taken an unexpected, but joyful twist this year, she explained.

Thanks to a generous donation received by HBC and topped up by several of the Girl Guides, the district was also able to provide other school supplies to the White Rock food bank - to help less fortunate kids at home.

Each year, MCC sends out around 120,000 kits, containing four notebooks, four unsharpened pencils, a ruler, a large eraser and a package of 12 coloured pencils.

These supplies are packed in hand-sewn fabric bags and distributed by MCC partner agencies in schools and orphanages.

"Families and school groups have found the hands-on aspect of shopping for the school supplies particularly meaningful. Some children even spend their own allowance money. They can't imagine being so poor that they have no paper," Nickel said.

"All of us at Ten Thousand Villages Langley are excited about the help we receive from our customers and supporters, like the Girl Guides. And every year the participation of the Langley community with the school kits grows a little bit more," she added.

Ten Thousand Villages, which sells artisan-crafted accessories, home decor, and gift items from around the globe, ventured into the kits 15 years ago.

This year's program began Aug. 15, and will continue until Sept. 30.

"It is time again for back to school shopping - an ideal time to share the excitement of learning with children in developing countries, who can only dream of new school supplies," Nickel said.

The bags and a list of required supplies are available at the store, at 20525 Fraser Hwy., or online at www.TenThousandVillages.ca.

rhooper@langleyadvance.com