Free the Children Founder shares his experience in Haiti.
Craig Kielburger spoke to an enrapt crowd of students, faculty, and community members last night at Centennial Theatre. Having just returned from Haiti four days prior, he humbly shared with the audience his experiences in Port-au-Prince.
Founder of Free the Children and co-founder of Me to We, Craig is a very accomplished person. He has visited over 50 countries and participated in so many humanitarian initiatives that you would think that he has seen it all. He shared with the crowd in Centennial, that when he arrived in Haiti “[He had] never seen a city so totalled—the concentration of destruction, so immense.”
Kielburger went through a slideshow of photos and videos depicting his time spent in Haiti, bringing to life the destruction and tragedy that has happened over there. His chronological depiction showed what it was like just days after the earthquake, and what it was like for non-governmental organizations (NGOs) to try and help the Haitian people.
He shared what the media has not been shedding much light on: the true heroes during this great time of need aren’t the doctors or engineers—they are the Haitian people themselves. Through anecdotes and photos, Kielburger demonstrated that the people who lost everything are still giving.
When asked about the upcoming Olympic Games affecting the coverage and support of Haiti, Kielburger told The Campus, “Canada has to continue—our government has to continue our commitment. What’s necessary is to continue to give—to give not only in the short term, but in the long term.”
And there are many ways to give, according to Kielburger. He and his brother, Marc, founded Me to We, a sister organization to Free the Children that focuses on social entrepreneurship. The company sells DVDs and books, as well as an organic, Canada-made clothing line. All the products are available on their website, metowe.com, and in stores all across North America.
Kielburger adds that what’s really special about Me to We is, “When we get a donation, we’re very proud of the fact that only nine cents on the dollar goes to administration expenses. In the average non-profit organization about 30 cents goes towards administration. We want to bring that to zero, we want to earn all the income to run Free the Children, so that 100% of what’s donated goes directly to the projects such as clean drinking water and medical care.”
Kielburger explains, “Me to We is getting people thinking a little less about me and a lot more about we. That could be as simple as the way we shop or how we vote. It’s trying to show that we can change the world, not just by giving a donation or not just by volunteering our time, but by our daily life choices.”
When it comes to actually taking part, Kielburger suggests getting involved any way that you can. “Students need to take action, whether it be looking at the issue of Haiti, or whether it be looking at international development more broadly, or one of the issues closer to home. Fundamentally, we don’t have to wait until we’re adults, we don’t have to wait to finish school….” Free the Children provides many opportunities for volunteer work overseas building schools, teaching or serving. Kielburger suggests going on your spring break or part of your summer vacation. There are also easier ways to volunteer, like joining the Bishop’s chapter of Free the Children.
Craig and his brother Marc are known for their belief in our generation. That is why they encourage students to get involved and to take action. When it comes to believing if our generation can truly end poverty, Kielburger says, “We can if we want to. We have the knowledge, we have the resources, but what we really lack is the will. Particularly this generation of policy makers, and this generation of voters really lack will. I hope there will be a generational shift between the two generations….”
Kielburger has received the Order of Canada and the Nelson Mandela Human Rights award, among many others, but he says those things were never what he was aiming for.
Free the Children is coming up on its 15th anniversary, and when thinking about what’s next for Kielburger, he says, “To continue with our mission, and to try and bring about a generational shift. It can be done. Free the Children was the first incarnation of that, we had the second incarnation of that (Me to We), and we want to continue to grow and expand. We never accomplished our first goal—we live in a world where 113 million kids have never stepped foot into a classroom. Until we accomplish that goal, what’s next is a little premature.”
For more information and to find out how you can help, please visit www.freethechildren.com. Also, check out their Facebook page and follow @craigkielburger on Twitter.
