WCDSB Community News Magazine Spring 2012 - Wellington ...

Commited to Service
Free the Children and Craig Kielburger
In March, Craig Kielburger of FREE THE CHILDREN
was honoured by Bishop Macdonell with the school’s
Courage Award.
A few student leaders from the high school’s social
justice club spoke with grade 8 students from their
feeder schools about the important work promoted
through Free the Children. The future Celtics then had
the opportunity to attend the award presentation.
What is Free the Children
Free The Children encourages youth to be agents of
change both locally and globally. There are two areas
of focus:
1) Domestic programs aim to educate, engage and
empower youth. It operates on the premise that
young people will change the world once they’re
free from the notion that they’re powerless to make
a difference.
2) International projects, led by the Adopt a Village
model, has brought over 650 schools and school
rooms to youth and provided clean water, health
care and sanitation to one million people around
the world, freeing children and their families from
the cycle of poverty.
Grade 8 Student Heads to Africa
We Day is part of the Domestic Programming of
Free the Children meant to inspire youth to make
the world a better place.
Olivia Sharpe, a grade 8 student from St. Joseph
School in Fergus attended ‘We Day’ this year and
filled out a ticket for a draw. One week later her
name was chosen and she received a call about
the possibility of going to Africa.
“I had no words. I was completely without words,”
shares Olivia. Initially, Free the
Children organizers, “recommended
that I do a day camp [this year] and
that the next year I could go overseas.”
However, after attending the
information session with her parents
and expressing her sincere desire to
travel abroad, Olivia was extended the
invitation to go to Africa this summer.
Together with, 2-3 chaperones, 10-
15 other students from Canada, the
United States and Europe, Olivia will
work with the people of Massai Mara
in south-western Kenya.
Olivia speaks quickly, brimming
with enthusiasm, as she explains
the details of the trip: “It will take 27
hours to get there… we will stay in a
house in Nairobi for a couple of days.
Then we take a 5 hour drive to the
Massai Mara village where we’ll stay in tents. We will
take a water walk, 5 km each way, to understand how
difficult it is to get water… We will be part of building
a school, will learn how to make necklaces with the
mothers, and close to the end of the trip we will go on
a Safari.”
Olivia’s father, Scott Sharpe, wasn’t quite as excited
when he first heard Olivia’s name was drawn for the trip.
“I was apprehensive at the beginning,” he says.
Olivia receives 100 blessed rosaries to take with her to Kenya and stands with
her father, Scott Sharpe (left); Tim Law from the Knights of Columbus (right);
and with Fr. Ian Duffy.
It wasn’t until Scott witnessed his daughter’s
sincere commitment to fundraising that her
excitement became his as well. “I am still very
nervous about sending my 13 year old daughter
half way around the world,” shares Olivia’s
Dad.”But this trip has also brought a lot of people
together. Our whole family has been building
relationships through this opportunity.”
St. Joseph School community in Fergus, St.
Joseph Parish, the Catholic Women’s
League and the Knights of Columbus
have rallied together to help with
fundraising to cover the costs for the
trip. Olivia has also been provided with
100 rosaries to give to people in the
village.
“Olivia’s classroom has become the
world,” says Lowell Butts, Principal at
St. Joseph School in Fergus. “Being
the hands and feet of Christ is what we
are supposed to do through Catholic
education. This has become an
opportunity for her class and school
to watch Olivia and her family live the
gospel values. I am excited about this
formative leadership experience for her
and excited about where this could
lead,” he says.
photo courtesy of Mario Lopes
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Wellington Catholic Community News Magazine