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Brothers empower children to effect change
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WHEN 12-year-old Canadian Craig Kielburger told his parents in 1995 that he wanted to go to Asia to meet child laborers, his parents refused because of his age.
Kielburger had read a news report about a Pakistani boy who was murdered because he fought for children’s rights. And he didn’t give up. Kielburger believed children have the power to help other exploited children who are living in poverty. He gathered 11 classmates and founded a group called Twelve Twelve-Year-Olds that year. The group later evolved into Free the Children, an international charity operating in 45 countries and regions.
“Children can also make the world a better place,” said Marc Kielburger, 37, Craig’s older brother and a humanitarian and activist, when he shared Craig’s story with 500 teenage students at Concordia International School of Shanghai recently.
In December 1995, Craig went to India, where he witnessed the conditions of child laborers.
In a documentary, Craig, now 31, met a little girl who was hired to recycle used syringes. She didn’t have shoes on and was exposed to serious risk of catching infectious diseases like AIDS. He asked if there were any safety measures in place. The employer simply said, “she can wash it off.”
The trip made Craig more determined to help children. Since then, Free the Children has recruited nearly 2.3 million volunteers, almost all of whom are under the age of 18. They build schools, provide clean water and help with health programs in poor villages.
Making a difference
“Craig made a change. Now, people think helping others is a cool thing,” said Marc, who has been a strong supporter of his brother for the past 19 years.
Marc said young people in Canada were the least likely to volunteer per capita 17 years ago. Now, they are the most likely to volunteer.
“From the lowest to the highest, we’ve seen a dramatic change out of a child’s idea,” Marc said.
In 2008, the Kielburger brothers founded Me to We, a social enterprise offering paid volunteer trips and leadership training to high school students to help people in Africa, Asia and Latin America. Half of the net profits of Me to We are donated to Free the Children.
“There aren’t many programs like us for students in high schools,” Marc said. “It’s not just a trip. We have speakers and leadership training programs before, during and after students come back.”
During the trips, students learn to appreciate their life and help others. They are not allowed to take gifts but they will be welcomed as a family member in the community they visit.
So far, Me to We has built 28 schools in rural China, with 65 percent of the money coming from children’s donations by selling cookies and holding concerts. More than 3,000 students from China, the US and Canada have volunteered in China programs.
Marc told Concordia students there is an equation to change the world: “Gift + Issue = Better World.”
He explained everybody is good at something and everyone has an issue to care about. “Just think about how to put them together and you can make the change,” he said.
Marc said in North America, community service is important.
“I know many students in China and many students today want to go to American, Canadian and other Western schools. My big piece of advice is that if their activities are so focused on academics, they will not be as successful if they are not also socially involved,” Marc said.
As a Harvard graduate, Marc said a perfect SAT score is far from enough to get into a school with such prestige.
“You need to be deep in one area and you need to have services. The social engagement is very important for initiatives and for getting acceptance into schools,” he said.
Every year, Me to We also holds a We Day celebration. Celebrities are invited to give performances while influential people are invited to give speeches. Tickets to the celebration can only be earned through volunteering.
“Our dream is to one day host a We Day celebration in Shanghai,” he said.
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