African history and cultural awareness—issues greater than just one month
Get involved with Adopt a Village and support your international peers through education Black History Month is a time to recognize and celebrate the many extraordinary contributions Africa and its people have made to the world, but it’s also a time to reflect upon the grave injustices that were inflicted upon the African population and other minority groups in our recent history, such as slavery and segregation.
The world has come a long way in stopping the spread of discrimination, but despite this progress, instances of inequity still exist. Today in Sub-Saharan Africa 22.5 million people are living with HIV/AIDS. This number is two-thirds of the population of Africa and 68% of the global population living with HIV/AIDS. Approximately 50% of the population lives on less than $1 a day, and of the 120 million children around the globe that still do not have access to education, the majority of these children are living on the continent of Africa.
Free The Children is committed to changing this. For more than a decade, Free The Children has been working in the Maasai Mara region of Kenya, an area with the highest primary school drop-out rate in the country. Through the Adopt a Village program, Free The Children is supporting the local community’s efforts at improving opportunities for education—the key to breaking the cycle of poverty. By working hand-in-hand with local people, Free The Children is providing quality educational opportunities (schools, trained teachers, school supplies and other necessities), basic health care and clean water supplies, and new economic opportunities to Maasai families in need. With these tools, the local communities are able to build and secure their own bright futures.
These efforts are also continued in Sierra Leone, where children have faced a dramatically different reality: war. Violence in Sierra Leone defined the lives of children and their families for more than 11 years. When the war ended, it revealed the devastation of the educational system, seemingly preventing the communities from rebuilding for the future. Free The Children works with the communities to implement the Adopt a Village development program, with a focus on ensuring that children have the chance to go to school in a safe, healthy environment. By equipping these children and their communities for peace, Adopt a Village is helping to ensure that civil war does not return to Sierra Leone.
Participate in the Vow of Silence campaign and make a difference!
On March 1, 2008, join hundreds of students across North America who are participating in the Vow of Silence campaign to show their support for people and children across the globe who are unable to speak out for themselves.
Sign up for the Vow of Silence campaign and stand up for those who don’t have a voice! Vow of Silence gives you the opportunity—as an individual, team or with your entire school—to raise awareness about the issues affecting Africa and fundraise to support Free The Children’s Africa-based Adopt a Village campaigns.
Take a stand against inequality today!
Helpful Hints from Helpful Links
Learn more about the Vow of Silence campaign
Hear testimonials from Leaders Today’s Kenya trip volunteers
Get involved with Adopt a Village
Free The Children is the largest network of children helping children through education in the world, with more than one million youth involved in our innovative education and development programs in 45 countries. Founded by international child rights activist Craig Kielburger, Free The Children has an established track-record of success, with three nominations for the Nobel Peace Prize and partnerships with the United Nations and Oprah’s Angel Network. |
