An old proverb says that it takes a village to raise a child. What if the opposite is also true and it takes a child to raise a village?
Free the Children and its Winnipeg affiliate, We Rock Manitoba, are working to inspire both children and adults to help alleviate poverty and encourage education in the Third World.
Empowerment is what Free the Children and We Rock Manitoba are all about. Inspiring and empowering students to act is the focus of We Day 2014, scheduled for October 29th. Students will learn through the speakers and singers just how much people can do when they work together for change.
For Free the Children, 2014 is the Year of Empowerment. Even after We Day is over, an Empowerment Tour consisting of artisans and secondary school students will travel around the province, telling their stories and inspiring people to get involved.
We Rock Manitoba is also hosting the Artisan’s Trunk Show, featuring handicrafts made by African women. A visitor from Kenya will tell her story and show how ordinary people can make a difference. Bookings on the tour are available through artisans@metowe.com.
Another opportunity to hear about artisan projects will come on October 26th at St. Mary’s Academy on Wellington Crescent. Mama Leah of Maasai Mara, Kenya, will speak about her community and her work, and bestselling author Robin Wiszowaty will speak about her work as Free the Children director for Kenya and Ghana. Tickets for the event are available through werockmanitoba@gmail.com.
Part of We Rock Manitoba’s goal is not just to host special events, but to help though an ongoing project. Adopt a Village is about providing the foundations of education, clean water and sanitation, health care, food security, and alternative income sources for marginalized communities around the world.
Through the Adopt a Village program, We Rock Manitoba is raising money for a village in the Udaipur region in the Rajasthan state of India. Fundraising events take place throughout the year to help with this project. Many of these events will feature the stories of people whose lives have been changed because people from countries like Canada cared enough to help them.
Knowing about the problems that low-income people face is one thing, but finding a solution is another. Free the Children’s Winnipeg affiliate, We Rock Manitoba, can help provide a way for both adults and children to get involved. Check for posters and announcements about what’s happening in Winnipeg this fall and winter. You might even have the chance to raise a village.
