After hearing a speech by Marc Kielburger in Kemptville in 2005, Jami-Lea Forbes approached her history teacher Mr. Sleeth about getting involved with Free The Children. A student at Rideau District High School in the Upper Canada District School Board, Jami-Lea explained her interest and was met with an enthusiastic response.

The Graffiti Wall: A creative way to show student spirit and support.

With Mr. Sleeth’s encouragement and the support of fellow students, Jami-Lea formed the group Rideau Encouraging African Development (READ). The group set a goal of building a school in Kenya. As a small rural school of 412 students in Elgin, Ontario, Rideau students knew that their goal was ambitious.

The students of READ worked hard, organizing events including an “air-band” concert, a charity prom, a golf tournament and a “penny war.” The school administration chipped in by donating a wall in the cafeteria, named the “Graffiti Wall,” where students bought bricks for $4 each and then decorated them with messages or drawings symbolizing their support for READ.

After months of dedication, READ raised $9,100, enough to build a school in Kenya and to provide school supplies for each student! The school community dedicated the school to a former student, Cara Howard, a tremendous advocate of African development projects who died tragically last August. The "Cara Howard School of Hope" stands as example of an entire community coming together to give others hope for a better future.

This year Rideau District High School has set another ambitious goal: to build a clean water system and provide families with alternative sources of income through the Adopt a Village campaign.

The students’ accomplishments are best explained in the words of Kaitlyn Robertson, a Rideau District student and an active member of READ: “Through this experience I now realize that we have the power to create a better life for others less fortunate than ourselves.” Using their power, Kaitlyn and her classmates have done just that.