Forty dollars may not seem like a lot of money, but for Cape Verde students it’s the difference between attending school or not. A group of Wareham students learned that last February on a trip to the island chain, located off the coast of of Africa.

“It’s not much money to us, but over there people are working for $8 a day,” said Jordan Phillips, a member of the Wareham Cape Verdean Support Team.

Phillips, a recent Wareham High School graduate, along with other students and adults from town, have so far raised roughly $6,000 to offset costs for students overseas. The money helps pay school and transportation fees, as well as education supplies.

On Saturday, the group hosted a fundraising dance at the Wareham-New Bedford Elks Lodge #73. There, jewelry from Cape Verde was sold, Milton & Friends, a New Bedford-based Cape Verde band, played and participants ate Cape Verde dishes – all to raise more funds.

“The money from tonight is going to pay for laptops for students we’re sponsoring,” said Naomi Tavares, an adult member of the team, which includes 10 adults and 9 teenagers.

So far, 132 Cape Verde students have benefitted from funds the group has raised. And there are plans to help more.

“We want to do this for as long as we can,” said Phillips.

Upcoming fundraising events include a pair of car washes set for July 8 and 15 in front of the Wareham Fire Station from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Also, the group will sell bracelets at Onset’s Cape Verde Festival on Aug. 12 and collect donations in front of Walmart on Aug. 19 and 20.

For more information, visit the group’s Facebook page.