Free The Children Campaign
The free the children campaign was created by a grade 7 student named Marc Kielburger in response to the situation of child labor around the world. Specifically he was inspired by an instance in Pakistan. A boy tried to defend himself and all the other children who had to work 24/7 from ages as young as six years old.
His name was Ickball, he was twelve years old and had been working since age six. He went to the town hall and began to speak out about how child labor was wrong and that children should not have to work in forced labor. Some people agreed with his speech but others were angry with his outspokenness. A couple of weeks later Ickball was murdered by those that didn't want anyone promoting that type of change.
One morning Marc kielbuger went down for breakfast his father was reading the newspaper story on Ickball's situation. Mark was shocked that someone would be cruel enough to murder an innocent child his that was about his age. Due to geographic difference Marc was unsure what he could do to assist in the plight of the Pakistani children. Then an idea came to Marc's mind and the free the children campaign was born.
Kielburger and several friends got together and decided to have a car wash with all the money they make going to help prevent child labor in Pakistan. The car wash was a great success and they raised over a thousand dollars to donate to the cause.Free the children developed into a charity to not only help prevent forced child labor but to help those who are living on less than a dollar a day.
The free the children campaign eventually expanded to include the event known as We Day during which kids from all over North America come together for a day event with powerful speakers, singers and the in attendance the Kielburgers themselves.
In order to attend the day event of We Day is to do something to help your community: a canned food drive with all donations going to your local soup kitchen. Then you do something to help globally like Five Days of Freedom.
For Five Days of Freedom you have to fund raise for five days doing such things as: having bake sales, car washes, selling freezies, having school wide barbecues or whatever you can think of. If you accomplish one thing locally and one thing globally then you will automatically receive a maximum of 15 free tickets to We Day.
Here's the breakdown of what the money can do in the other side of the world:
- $50 can buy a goat for a family
- $100 classroom equipment
- $250 can provide a medical tent
- $500 can make a six month lunch program
- $1000 can build a single classroom schoolhouse
- $8500 can build a full sized school
If you would like more information about Free The Children check out their website:
You can also go on YouTube to check out some We Day videos and Free The Children videos.
