John Heller, Post-Gazette Caylin McKee, 15, is leading a campaign for area residents to sell their unwanted items on eBay, with proceeds buying school uniforms for children in Zambia. Click photo for larger image.

Some children in the African nation of Zambia cannot attend school because they cannot afford the required $10 uniform. A ninth-grader at Mt. Lebanon High School is trying to change that.

Through June 4, Caylin McKee is asking people to give unwanted stuff to We Sell Now, a Robinson business that will sell it on the Internet auction site, eBay. Donors can give all or part of their proceeds to Caylin's effort, "Uniforms for Zambia."

"To us, it's like pocket change," Caylin said on Monday -- her 15th birthday -- after going on KDKA-TV's "Pittsburgh Today" show to publicize her effort to help children thousands of miles away.

She first learned of their plight last year while attending a 12-week winter term program at Hohliebi, an educational organization in Lenk, Switzerland. The group also runs a camp in Zambia. Pictures and movies about the local children there were "very touching," Caylin said.

She wanted to do something to help. Her mother, Leslie McKee, a professional organizer, knows that Americans tend to have way too much stuff.

Together they came up with the idea of converting items not needed here into items much needed in Zambia. Caylin's mom calls it "spring cleaning for a cause."

They'll both be at the We Sell Now store on Saturday when the business will donate 10 percent of its seller's fee as well (it charges on a sliding scale of 40 percent to 10 percent, depending on the item's selling price).

The McKees plan to wire the money to Hohliebi, which will use it to have the uniforms made in Zambia, assuring proper fits and helping the local economy. Caylin said she hopes for "just as many as we can get. Anything is great."

She also will get to see how the uniforms are made, because she is going to Zambia to attend Hohliebi's Zambezi Environmental Education Camp starting July 17.

Caylin hopes she can visit some schools there while she spends two weeks living as the locals do. "I want to feel the real life there," said the young woman, who wants to be a teacher so she can continue to help children.

If you want to help, you can do so in three ways. Drop items off at We Sell Now at 6300 Steubenville Pike, Robinson (open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday; www.wesellnow.com). Or, call the store for pickup (for a small fee) at 412-809-0590.

You also can donate directly to Uniforms for Zambia, Box 11611, Pittsburgh, PA 15228.

For more information about the camp, visit www. hohliebi.ch/Zambia/index.htm.