Free the Children

Free The Children's holistic and sustainable Adopt a Village model is what initially drew me to this organization. Furthermore, it's a youth based approach which leads to empowered, motivated, and inspired young people taking the initiative to make a positive impact not only globally, but locally in their communities as well. It's an incredible cycle of systematic service learning that leads to a greater sense of social responsibility and leadership for all who are engaged with Free The Children's programming!

My 4th grader along with 7 of his classmates and their elementary school teacher started a Free The Children Chapter last year. The group chose to support education in Kenya. So far the group has hosted 2 fundraisers (coin drive and hike). The group has raised over $6,000. This organization has inspired these kids that thru hard work, diligence and passion that they too can make a difference in the world.

2 years ago was my first We Day, and as cheesy as it may sound, it changed my life. The speakers moved the crowd, and there was a sense of positive energy I realized I had been missing. Seeing Craig and Marc and hearing their story inspired me, and I was ready to make a change. I've come to appreciate t he environment, and how SO important it is to think globally, locally, and the issues that surround the world. Since We Day, I helped lead a school quarter drive, went through the change of high school and joined clubs, volunteered. In the summer I went to Take Action Academy and had an amazing week! I learned so much, met amazing people who are inspired just like me, and connected with others on the issues we realize are possible to make a difference in. Now, I took my action plan to action and organized a charity walk for fundraising to build a school, and am considering applying for a scholarship to go to Kenya, and see the change I can make first hand. I can't wait for the opportunities ahead of me, and Craig and Marc have been the key to greatly impact young people, to show you CAN be the change.

I had the opportunity to travel on a MetoWe trip to Kenya this past summer and can honestly say that I will never be the same. I was fortunate enough to experience a completely alternate way of life and find what was truly valuable in this world, which is helping others. On top of an incredible trip, I was also presented with the chance of introducing Spencer West to this years Waterloo Region WE Day. I found the event so well organized and inspiring. Free the Children and MetoWe are like no other organization, they not only do good within our local and global societies, but also empower youth to implement however they can. I am so thankful for all that this organization has done to help me grow and show me how I can now also help others.

I had the opportunity to travel on a MetoWe trip to Kenya this past summer and can honestly say that I will never be the same. I was fortunate enough to experience a completely alternate way of life and find what was truly valuable in this world, which is helping others. On top of an incredible trip, I was also presented with the chance of introducing Spencer West to this years Waterloo Region WE Day. I found the event so well organized and inspiring. Free the Children and MetoWe are like no other organization, they not only do good within our local and global societies, but also empower youth to implement however they can.

This past summer, my 9-year-old daughter and I travelled to Kenya to particpate in a "Volunteer Vacation" organized by Free the Children. This trip changed our lives and taught my daughter lessons she could never learn in the classroom. We had read about the organization and the various projects around the world - but words cannot describe our experience of meeting the girls at Kisaruni, building a classroom with with our group members, and seeing the impact that education has made on the communities we visited. We left with new many friends, an appreciation for a different culture and joy in our hearts at the good that Free the Children has done in Kenya. My once shy daughter now has the courage to speak passionately about her experience this past summer and the difference that children can make on the lives other children. Thank you Craig, Mark, Cameron, Sarah and all our friends at Free the Children and Me to We for helping us find our spark! We can't wait for our next trip!

Free The Children is absolutely amazing. I'm so thankful to be involved with this organization as it does many great things for people all across the world. We Day and Free The Children have changed my life for the better, and I say this with all honesty. By being a part of this organization I've built many friendships and learned how to take action within the community. Their staff has become my second family. I learned to stand up for issues that I believe in and to never be afraid to ask anyone to help take a stand with you. We Day has taught me that it is cool to care. From this one event one can really see how powerful Free The Children is. In Toronto alone, 18,000 students gather to celebrate social change and it's empowering beyond belief. It shows that no matter how young you may be, you have the ability to change the world. I've had the opportunity to speak on stage at We Day and these kids are amazing. They want to learn about different ways in which they can help change the world, and this is often hard to find. Through Free The Children and We Day, I was given the opportunity to inspire thousands and I thank them for this opportunity. I could never have asked for anything better. I'm honored to be a part of Free The Children and I hope I will be for the many years to come!

Last year I visited the Kisaruni High School for girls in Kenya where one of the classrooms is the tangible result of my contributions made to Free the Children in memory of my son. This was an amazing opportunity to actually see how my donations were working there...on the Mara ..in Kenya!! Free the Children constantly keeps in contact with me, keeping me up-to-date on new projects and the evolution of current successes. On top of this there is always an appreciation of my contributions and support. This summer Marc and Robin sent a video message from Kisaruni so I could see the growth of a passion fruit tree I had planted. I have absolutely no hesitation in encouraging others...from my peers in the educational field to my friends and family to contribute generously to FTC. My 8 year old granddaughter has just asked her invited friends to her birthday next week to give donations to Free the Children rather than gifts to her.!!She knows the money will be used to buy a goat for a Kenyan family or maybe help with building a well for pure water. Getting involved with Free the Children...with the knowledge of the effectiveness and the enthusiasm and dedication of Craig, Marc and all the co-workers at FTC is a life changing experience for me. I can hardly wait to return to Kenya...to visit once again with the girls and the "Mamas".!! Leona from Montreal, Quebec,Canada

My family of four children (2 boys and 2 girls ages 8-16) went to Kenya this summer and participated in the Free the Children program based in Bogani. It was truly a life-changing experience for each member of my family. We met many incredible Kenyans who have very little in terms of material possessions, but who are filled with hope and a belief that their lives can be improved through hard work, perseverence, education, and economic self-sufficiency. We met teenage girls, who without Free the Children would have no place or opportunity to go to high school, who will one day be leaders of their communities and country. We met mothers and fathers who treated us like rock stars because they were so grateful for the work Free the Children was doing to give their children an education, clean drinking water, and health care facilities. We also met many happy, smiling, beautiful children who were curious and interested in who we were, and who immediately welcomed us by holding our hands and walking with us. These children never once asked us for anything other than to return their warmth and affection. In short, our trip helped our family put the world and our lives into their proper perspectives. Since returning, we are committed to staying involved with Free the Children, to champion its causes, and to do what we can to improve the lives of those who are less fortunate.

I went to Kenya with FTC last summer, and it changed my life. The staff are personable, they make you think with exercises that examine your life in comparison to those with less, and encourage you to make a change. In a dark time in my life, they gave me a light to move towards. I owe FTC so much.

Our family(5) traveled to Kenya this past summer with Free the Children, and had the trip of a lifetime. It was educational, engaging, fun and at times very humbling. We learned so much about the culture, by visiting schools, farms and working groups. There were talks around the campfire at night by different individuals who shared their stories with us. We helped to build a dormitory for the girls school. We met some wonderful people who are now our friends because of the amazing experience we shared. Free the Children is truly making a difference in this corner of the world.

I volunteered with Free the Children this past summer and spent three weeks with the organization in a community in Kenya. It was such an incredible opportunity to get directly involved with social justice and community development in a way that is usually not accessible to teenagers. Free the Children promotes the idea that individuals, including youth, have the power to change the world they live in.The organization has a clear mission and amazing results, both of which were apparent right away on my trip. The trip itself was life-changing and the people we worked with were incredible. I would recommend Free the Children to anyone!

I had always heard bits and pieces about Free the Children over the years and how amazing its young founder, Craig Kielburger, was but it was not until recently that I really had the opportunity to see just how incredible the actual organization, itself, is. Recently, for many reasons, including personal ones, I was looking for an opportunity to do something different -- and ideally, something to help others. I learned about a trip that Free the Children's sister organization, Me to We, offers to go see and take part in the work that Free the Children is doing in Kenya. Whatever my reasons were for going, the experience I had was beyond any expectation I could have had. From the outset, seeing the work that Free the Children is doing in the rural areas of the Maasai Mara was most certainly, in the truest sense of the term, a life-changing experience. What I was most impressed with was that their robust Adopt a Village development model, with their six core pillars (education, clean water and sanitation, health, alternative income and livelihood, agriculture and food security, and environmental sustainability) is designed in such a way that the local communities really have to "buy in" to the plan and commit to becoming self-sustainable. And it isn't just about adopting any one particular pillar -- the idea is to encourage the development of all six pillars in order to create change that really sticks. Because the change has to be desired by the local communities themselves, it was so exciting to personally witness what a high level of commitment the people who are directly impacted by Free the Children had to improving their lives and those of their children. I can't begin to express how moving it was to see the level of appreciation in the faces of so many of the people we met. From the schoolchildren that we had the opportunity to speak with, to the ultra-committed medical staff at the medical facility we visited, to the wonderful Maasai mamas who personally showed us the immense improvements that were taking place in their communities, health-wise, education-wise, income-wise, and more, everyone truly appeared so proud to be working with Free the Children and so committed to working towards positive change. There is no doubt in my mind that the work that Free the Children is doing makes a huge difference. I very much encourage anyone to visit their site (www.freethechildren.com) to read more about what they do, how they do it, and how they're different to other charities in the ways that they approach things. And the fact that they work hand-in-hand with Me to We to allow people from all over the world to visit and take part in the work being done in a way that is so accessible to so many people is just great -- it offers "Westerners" the opportunity to do something unique that they might not have done otherwise, and to personally experience what Free the Children is all about. Highly, highly recommended.