We Day 2014

Hi Everyone,

Empowerment. Change is in your hands. Be the generation of greatness. Equality is freedom.

These were some of the amazing messages directed to the youth at We Day Toronto this week. Mike and I volunteered for the event and what a powerful room. 4.6 billion hours were volunteered in making it to We Day today as all the kids had to be nominated or apply to be in the audience. Each of them supports a local and a global cause for change. 

We Day is Free  the Children's way of saying a big THANK YOU to the youth, parents and teachers that help Free the Children carry out the great work they do both nationally and globally for children and communities big and small. 

Mike and I had the pleasure of going to Kenya this past summer with the organization to help out and see what they are accomplishing there. I must say after that trip, I am officially a Free the Children Ambassador. They aren't just going into these communities, building schools and leaving. They have adopted the village and put programs in place to help the community become self sustaining. What this means, in 10, 20, 30 years, the children of today will be living happy, healthy lifestyles without having to rely on 'handouts' from charitable organizations.

I will give you one of the simplest examples of what this means:

Teaching families to tie up their livestock (usually goats and dairy cows) so that children can have the time to go to school instead of herding livestock during the day. Some of the lessons they are teaching these communities are things we take for granted but they are the little things that can make such a difference in the community.

Another quick example is teaching them to use a clothes line or fence to dry their clothes on rather than laying them on the ground in the sun. This prevents bugs from getting into their clothing and irritating their skin causing more trips to the clinic.

These are just two small examples of what Free the Children has done in the Massai Mara community of Kenya, there are just too many for words.

Here is a small sample of the pictures from our trip.

Mike is journaling our trip in more detail so I will share a link once he has had a chance to finish that... I will start bugging him soon, progress has slowed in recent weeks on that project!

To be continued...

Have a great day,
Dawn