Me to We

Shawnigan students were genuinely inspired on Monday, with a presentation from Craig and Marc Kielburger.

The Canadian founders of 'Free the Children' began their social activism when they were still very young – a message that clearly resonated with the engaged Shawnigan audience.

Starting with personal accounts of what sparked their interest in education and poverty, and then moving to heartrending accounts of human suffering in places like Sierra Leone and Thailand, the brothers used photos and videos to deliver their energetic call to action.

Headmaster David Robertson says he was particularly moved by the speakers' story about efforts to build a school in a small Quechuan village in the Andes Mountains. Craig Kielburger laughed as he told the audience about what he, at first, took to be a misunderstanding. Left with not enough time to finish the project before heading home, the Chief of the indigenous village said "Let's finish it now." The Chief soon called the entire region together for a 'Minga' – where hundreds of people from neighbouring village come together for a collective good.

A powerful and empowering presentation, the Kielburger brothers encouraged Shawnigan to call a Minga, and come together to create and live a legacy of service.

 

20 Shawnigan students will enjoy more inspiration from the Kielburgers, when they travel to Vancouver for Wednesday's "We Day" celebration at the Rogers Centre. Follow their journey on the Shawnigan twitter feed.

– Jon Zacks