Children... Amazing and Inspiring

Children have the ability to amaze their parents. Every once in a while my own children do something that is uniquely their own and I wonder to myself, how did that come about? Where did they get the inspiration to take on this challenge, accomplish that goal, or dream up such plans?

A little over a year ago I found myself asking these questions when our middle child (Jacqueline) approached us to express an interest in going to Kenya on a service trip with the Me2We organization. She and her close friend (Jaime) had been inspired to participate in a summer excursion after attending the mega event known as We Day- a combination of rock concert and social consciousness awareness. Started by the Kielburger brothers and the foundation they established-Free the Children-the traveling roadshow of We Day brings together a host of people committed to making a positive difference in their own communities and the world as a whole. Al Gore, Nelly Furtado, Martin Sheen, Justin Bieber, Romeo Dallaire, and the Dalai Lama are amongst those who have spoken and performed at We Day, many sharing the same stage on the same day in a free event filled with energy and fueled by youthful enthusiasm and much adolescent screaming. 

The catch for this free event? Each person present needs to demonstrate a willingness to make a difference in the world, however great or small that difference may be. All leave with a renewed enthusiasm for life, many commit to making immediate positive change, and a good many take on the challenge of the service trip. For Jacqueline and Jaime that involved Kenya. They committed to fundraising and awareness raising in a manner that caused both sets of parents to take notice and ask the very questions outlined at the start of this blog entry.

Needless to say it was a significant event in their young lives, and through the contributions of friends and family, and the generosity of a company known as Savanta, the girls were able to live out this mission that their parents had no idea existed. Although the experience of going to Kenya in east Africa was sufficient unto itself, it was only the beginning of a journey that continues to deepen and broaden their horizons.

Helping to build a school in the rural village of Kisaruni, encountering the richness of Masai culture, and assisting locals to access life-sustaining water were formative moments unto themselves. It just so happened that the founder of the organization, Craig Kielburger, was on site to assist their endeavors. He was in Kenya with one of the organization's motivational speakers, Spencer West, who had just completed the remarkable feat of climbing the highest peak in Africa- Mount Kilimanjaro. It is all the more remarkable when you consider that Spencer has no legs, having made the climb partly on wheelchair, and mostly on his hands, and totally with the support of a team of friends. 

Spencer is a man who makes friends easily. He is perhaps the most inspiring person that I have ever encountered, and his message of hope transcends generations. He made a huge impact on the girls in Kenya and has helped propel their journey forward. Upon returning to Canada they vowed to have Spencer speak at their school, and again through corporate generosity  ( MGI Gordon) and a supportive school administration he was able to speak at Ridley College on a wet and cold winter night in January. His message was warmly received and embraced by a full house of students and their families, newly inspired to make a positive change.

As you can imagine, the desire to commit to international service has continued. This summer the goal is India. In less than six months Jaime and Jacqueline aim to embark upon a mission to assist a rural community, Udaipur, in western India. Again, school building will feature on this trip, as will local sustainability.

Friends, family, and generous benefactors gave the initiative a boost on a fun evening at a local restaurant (Frescos) that featured fine food,  terrific company, and goods and services provided by socially conscious local businesses. 

I guess it isn't just children who amaze, but these children (and many others) are truly amazing in what they have set out to do-make a positive impact both locally and globally.

Click below to view a short video made by the girls.

From Kenya to India

Click again if you would consider contributing to this Me2We service trip.

Me2We Fundraising Page

Disclaimer: We continue to be proud and amazed by the efforts and accomplishments of each of our children. Indeed, all children have the capacity to do amazing things.