Raising Money for Free the Children

As Miss Teen Alberta - World 2009, I am raising money for Free the Children. My personal goal is to raise $10,000.00 in total and I really hope you will support me! I personally believe that education is crucial to our lives and everyone deserves a chance to be educated. I hope that each child can learn, experience and discover. So please help me provide these children with an education they deserve so they can make a difference in other people's lives as well. With the power of education and us helping each other, I believe it can help end world poverty.

Mary Smart's Story

At 15, Mary Smart is already a survivor.

She was only nine years old when rebel armed forces in Sierra Leone's brutal civil war ripped her father, brother and sister away from her, killing them instantly. Mary escaped, but fear and loneliness became her only companions. She survived by hiding in the forest for four years.

When the 11-year war ended, Mary returned home to find her school was gone. Only a shell remained. The sight shattered her hopes of resuming her studies, which she loved so much. "It felt like our whole future had been destroyed," she said.

But then hope returned when Free The Children rebuilt the school. "It felt so unreal! I'm so grateful for that. Finally I can learn things again, and I feel like I can have a great future."

Mary hopes to be a doctor or lawyer to fight for children's rights. She works hard towards her goal, studying all day and doing her homework late into the evening. Like many of her classmates, Mary's life was turned around by re-entering the safe and nurturing environment provided at school.

Through Free The Children's schoolbuilding program, children like Mary gain access to an education they would otherwise not have.

Through Free The Children’s holistic development model, Adopt a Village, individuals and communities are empowered with the tools they need to lift themselves from the cycle of poverty. With the belief that education is critical to ending the cycle of poverty, Adopt a Village’s education programs focus on providing the infrastructure and the tools that children need to receive a quality education. Through the water, sanitation and healthcare programs, entire communities are provided with sources of clean water that are closer to home, and are provided with support such as basic health care and health education workshops. Women are empowered with the tools to earn a sustainable income through the Alternative Income programs, ensuring they are able to support themselves and their family. Through collaboration in these key areas of development, Adopt a Village is truly able to empower communities to make sustainable change.

Kenya Video

A tour of Free The Children projects in communities throughout the country.