Discover what it’s like to journey through Tanzania on a ME to WE Trip with Jodie, our Kenya/Tanzania Leadership Director.
Picture this. As you land in mid-afternoon, you may be lucky enough to see Mount Kilimanjaro, stunning and expansive. Most people flying into this airport will be preparing to climb, endure the effects of altitude and test their physical and mental strength. For us, we drive the opposite direction from what is typical. We are interested in the people, land and culture. So we head toward Tanzania’s Longido District—Free The Children’s newest focus in East Africa.
The drive is breathtaking, with lush forest, hills and mountains dotting the horizon. As you enter Longido and approach the village of Engikaret, you realize where the small place got its name, which means “a dry and thorny place.” Dust kicks up as you drive through, and the road is crooked and bumpy to avoid the low-lying acacia bushes. Although you may not see any homes at a first glance, children emerge from what seems like nowhere, excited and waving as you drive past. When you look closer, you’ll find traditional homes of mud and dung speckled across the dry land. Families in Longido are predominately Maasai, their diet consisting of occasional meat, locally grown vegetables and fruits, and ugali—a dense cake made from cornflour and water.
While you are there, you might meet someone like Nalangu. After waking up on a bed of sticks next to her many siblings, other family members and small livestock, her day-to-day life is not easy. Before she heads to school, she is required to help get water for her family. Across Tanzania, only 44% of people have access to clean water, and in the rural area of Engikaret, it’s estimated to be just 10%. This means that not only is water hard to access, it can also be a cause of many water-borne illnesses. Although school enrollment isn’t a big challenge within Tanzania, and Nalangu has access to a nearby elementary school, there are not enough classrooms to accommodate her and her peers. Some teachers may conduct classes under a tree, or take turns sharing a classroom. These are two of the main reasons why Free The Children has started a partnership with these communities. After the school day is finished, Nalangu will head home to help fetch more water, look after her younger siblings and take the goats and cows to graze. She’ll also try to squeeze in time to do her homework before it gets dark, as the family gathers around a few small candles to light the night before they head to sleep.
Though Nalangu and her family’s day might look like this, while you are a visitor in Tanzania, we will try to stick to foods you are more familiar and comfortable with, and a few comforts of home. You will, however, get a chance to walk in the shoes of someone like Nalangu, see a home much like the one she and her family live in, spend time at her school, and learn as much as possible about life in Engikaret. By the time you head home, we hope that you will have had an experience that goes far beyond the typical tourist in Tanzania. As you head back to Kilimanjaro to catch your flight, it’s possible that you will never look at your life at home in the same way again.
There’s a whole lot of good in the world this time of year. From small acts of kindness to larger gestures, we’ve heard so many stories of people who are giving back and making the world a better place. Here are ten of our favourites.
1 – The folks at 99.9 Virgin Radio Toronto, who helped three local families in need
They made the holidays extra merry for these deserving families with their annual “Make it Merry” campaign, raising more than $60,000 in just a few weeks—all donated from local businesses and listeners around the GTA. The three families were showered with gifts and love in what the radio station calls “Toronto’s biggest #PayItForward campaign.”
2 – A group of homeless men in Calgary who raised $1,100 for charity
3 – Two sisters in Kamloops, British Columbia who have become dog-foster-parents (they even take the dogs swimming!)
10-year-old Olivia and nine-year-old Emma are helping foster several elderly Chihuahuas their family rescued from shelters in Sacramento, California. The two have been hard at work taking care of their foster-dogs, even taking them to a local pool for canine hydrotherapy. The family is looking after the dogs until they’re adopted into permanent homes.
4 – Robbie, a homeless man who saw someone in need and offered what he could—the last money he had
The homeless man in Lancashire, England offered 22-year-old Dominique the last of his spare change, when she realized she had no money to get home safely after a night out. Even though Dominique ended up finding another way to get home without taking Robbie’s money, she was inspired by his gesture and started a fundraising campaign on his behalf. To date, she’s raised nearly $60,000 CAD.
5 – A group of our Free The Children colleagues who gave back via a holiday clothing drive
The Youth Engagement team over at Toronto’s Free The Children office recently collected jackets, mittens and scarves from their colleagues and friends to donate to the Rotary Transition Centre at St Michael’s Hospital. Donations will benefit people who can take some warm clothing before their discharge from the centre.
6 – Four ladies who bake cookies each week to make life a little sweeter for families at Ronald McDonald House Toronto
The group—who call themselves the “Bakers and Shakers”—take over the house’s kitchen every Tuesday to bake delicious treats. Ronald McDonald House provides a home-away-from-home to families with seriously ill children.
7 – Jordan Axani, a travel-lover who’s paying it forward by helping people go on their dream trips around the world
You likely heard in the news this fall about this guy who offered anyone with the name “Elizabeth Gallagher” a free trip around the world—replacing a ticket meant for his now ex-girlfriend. Now, Jordan has started a non-profit, A Ticket Forward, which uses crowdfunding to help fund travel for deserving people who cannot otherwise afford it. There are currently four stories featured on the charity’s website, all of people or families whose lives Jordan hopes to transform through travel. And we know first-hand the life-changing power travel can have!
8 – A group of Montreal students who taught their teacher about the meaning of giving
Through a “Spirit of Giving” project, these Grade 11 students collected hundreds of items to donate to a local community organization—from non-perishable food, to books and toys, to bathroom and kitchen products. Their teacher says seeing how her students reacted to how much they’d collected made her realize how caring and giving they are, and how much good is in the world. Awww.
9 – A pilot who has flown 3,000 animals to safety
Jeff Bennett volunteers for Pilots and Paws, a charity in South Carolina that has small plane pilots take animals from overcrowded shelters to foster homes or less crowded shelters, saving the animals from euthanasia or abandonment and helping them find safe homes. And it’s not limited to dogs and cats—Jeff has transported everything from a potbellied pig, to a snake, to a falcon.
10 – …Well, this one’s up to you! What will your story be?
Whether you’ll be spreading cheer with random acts of kindness, volunteering in your neighbourhood or making the most of time with friends & family, we hope you have a wonderful, joy-filled holiday season!
What’s better than winning a contest? Winning at making a difference—with your friends! We’ve made it super easy this year to make a difference and give gifts with meaning, just by entering our Instagram contest to win Rafiki Friend Chains, hand-beaded by mamas in Kenya.
In Swahili, the word for friend is rafiki. Show your rafikis just how much you care with a chance to win two colourful chains of your choosing. Each one makes a life-changing impact in a Free The Children community overseas by providing clean water, food, health care and more. We’ll be giving away 12 rafikis every day for 12 days, which means you have multiple chances of winning and multiple ways to make a difference!
Here’s how to enter:
Follow us on Instagram at @metowe and re-post our daily contest photo
Tag a friend
Tag @metowe in your post saying which one of our rafikis you would give to your friend
Six winners will be chosen randomly every day from Dec. 1-12. Each winner will be notified via Instagram and receive the two rafikis of their choosing. There’s no limit to entries, so increase your chances of winning and enter every day!
Looking for more ways to give world-changing gifts this year? Check out our collection at shop.metowe.com!
CONTEST RULES & REGULATIONS!
1. HOW TO ENTER
Follow us on Instagram at @metowe and re-post our daily contest photo
Tag a friend
Tag @metowe in your post saying which one of our rafikis you would give to your friend
Six (6) winners will be chosen at random every day from December 1, 2014 until (and including) December 15, 2014. ME to WE will notify winners by tagging their account on Instagram. Each winner that complies with these Contest Rules and Regulations will receive the two rafikis of their choosing (approximate retail value $20 CAD). Participants may enter as many times as they wish, but will be chosen as a winner no more than once.
3. ELIGIBILITY
No purchase necessary. To be eligible for this contest, Entrants must follow ME to WE on Instagram (instagram.com/metowe) during the Contest Period. This contest is open to all residents of Canada, excluding Quebec, who are thirteen (13) years of age or older. This contest excludes employees of Free The Children, WE Day, ME to WE and We365, their affiliated companies or subsidiaries, their advertising and promotional agencies and members of their respective immediate households and any person domiciled with any of the above. ME to WE will not accept entry for this contest by phone, fax, courier, mail or email.
4. THE WINNERS
The winners will be selected by a member of the ME to WE team no earlier than 12:00 am EST on December 1, 2014 and no later than 11:59:59 pm EST on December 15,2014 (the “Contest Period”) at the ME to WE offices located in Toronto, Ontario. Six (6) winners will be selected each day, for a total of seventy-two (72) winners over the contest period. Chances of winning are subject to the number of Entrants. Winners will be announced and notified (via tagging) on Instagram and must contact ME to WE at [email protected] within five (5) business days following such notification to redeem their prize. Winners must correctly answer a time-limited skill testing question provided by ME to WE without assistance. If a winner does not meet all requirements of the Contest Rules & Regulations, another winner will be selected in their stead from the remaining eligible entries. Contest closes on December 15, 2014 at 11:59:59 pm EST.
5. PRIVACY
By entering the contest, Entrants hereby consent to have their Instagram account and name posted on ME to WE’s Instagram page in the event that they are chosen as a winner.
6. OTHER
ME to WE assumes no responsibility for any failures of the website, for any problems or technical malfunction of any computer online systems, servers, access providers, computer equipment, software, failure of entry to be received by ME to WE on account of technical problems or traffic congestion on the Internet or at any website, or any combination thereof including any injury or damage to an Entrant’s or any other person’s computer related to or resulting from this contest. ME to WE reserves the right, at its sole discretion, to change, cancel or suspend this contest should a virus, bug or other cause beyond the reasonable control of ME to WE and its advertising and promotional agencies, corrupt the security or proper administration of the contest or for any other reason. Entries are subject to verification and will be declared invalid if they are illegible, mechanically reproduced, mutilated, forged, falsified, altered or tampered with or unlawful in any way. Entries submitted by unauthorised means or by spamming will be disqualified. In the event that it has been determined that an entry has been made in a manner not sanctioned by these rules, the Entrant and all of his/her entries will be disqualified. Entrant agree to abide by the contest rules and the decisions of the contest judges, which are final. ME to WE and Entrant release Instagram Inc. (“Instagram”) from any liability, claims or damages associated with this contest, and acknowledge that the promotion is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or in association with, Instagram. This contest is subject to Federal, Provincial and Territorial laws and regulations in Canada, excluding those of the Province of Quebec.
Huntsville High School has travelled on six ME to WE Trips over the years. Each time, they go home more inspired than ever to keep making a difference in their local and global community. Read our interview with Huntsville High School educators below to find out what keeps them coming back!
ME to WE: Where has your school travelled with ME to WE? Huntsville High School: Ecuador, India, Arizona, East Africa, rural China, Nicaragua and Ghana!
M2W: We understand you do a lot of fundraising for your trips. Do you set out a specific goal at the beginning? HHS: We never set a specific dollar target. We coach the kids through three different types of fundraisers: individual, small group with three or four kids in the community, and large group where everybody participates. For example, we’ve run a car wash over the summer. Really, the fundraising depends on what that particular group wants to do. And each individual student may have their own target. There are some kids that need to raise the whole trip amount.
M2W: What benefit do you think fundraising has on the group? HHS: It certainly makes a difference once you’re there on the trip—you’re appreciating all the hard work put in and seeing the payout at the other end. One of the spin-off benefits of group fundraisers is that they also turn into team-building activities. The centrepiece of our large-group fundraising is an auction we do in the fall every year. The kids network in the community and they get donations from businesses. The event includes a live and silent auction, and a dinner as well. Pulling off a large event like that is a pretty good team-building exercise.
We’ve found that because we have several months to prep the kids and turn them into a team, it really enhances their experience on the ground, because they experience so much on a ME to WE Trip.
M2W: When the students come home, how do their experiences translate to their everyday lives? HHS: A lot of them volunteer a ton in our own community, and they continue to be a part of different community groups and organizations, that they may not necessarily have seen before, but they’ll seek it out when they come home.
M2W: At the end of the trip, what difference do you see in the students? HHS: They still talk about their trips—it’s changed who they are, they’re different people now. They’re totally different individuals, they’re more mature, more grounded and more in touch with who they want to be in this world.
Picture this. It’s mid-morning and you’ve just arrived at a rural village. After spending the morning getting to know local community members, you’ll join them to volunteer on a development project that will help remove the barriers to education for children. The project will continue long after you return home, but the impact you contributed to will last for generations.
This year, groups of young people set out on trips across the world to immerse themselves in new cultures, all while taking part in Free The Children projects as part of Free The Children’s holistic and sustainable development model. Together with local families and governments, Free The Children is working toward a world where all communities can fulfill their children’s right to education, clean water, health care, nutritious food and a thriving future.
From Ecuador, to India, to Nicaragua, join us on a journey around the world to see what ME to WE Trip groups have been up to this year!
First stop: A minga in Ecuador
This year, groups joined community members in Ecuador for many mingas, a traditional gathering where people of all ages come together to work on a task for the benefit of the whole community. Participants helped to dig trenches for a new clean water project that will help provide hundreds of community members with access to clean water.
In the regions ME to WE Trip groups visit access to clean water can be limited, forcing people to walk long distances to collect water from communal sources. Often, these water sources are contaminated, leaving people vulnerable to waterborne diseases. Illness is also commonly spread by water collected in dirty containers.
With access to clean water, children can stay healthy, making sure they never have to miss a day of school due to illness.
On to Nicaragua: Laying a foundation for education
ME to WE Trips groups were certainly busy in Nicaragua, working with local community members to build new classrooms. In the areas we visit, primary school dropout rates are high, largely due to poor educational facilities, a lack of access to quality health and sanitation facilities, and a high incidence of child labour. By building and rehabilitating classrooms in partnership with communities, we help ensure children have the facilities and resources to attend school close to home, empowering them to pursue their dreams.
Next: Working on an anganwadi in Rajasthan, India
In India, groups got to take part in a project unique to the region! Most rural communities in this area have a government-owned anganwadi, a health resource centre and daycare that offers basic medical care and support for new mothers. Free The Children’s projects include rehabilitating and reconstructing anganwadis, since a major struggle in the region is a lack of access to proper health care and child care while parents are at work. Older children are also often kept out of school to help look after their siblings.
With these new anganwadis, young children in rural areas will have a safe place to spend the day, freeing their older siblings to attend school. And with a government-employed nurse and Free The Children community mobilizers regularly visiting the anganwadi, the incidence of illness will be reduced, helping children and families stay healthy.
Our final stop: Building a choza in the Amazon
The final stop on our journey is the Amazon, where a women’s group weaves traditional jewellery from pita, a type of leaf found in the rainforest. ME to WE Trip groups loved immersing themselves in local culture, and even got to try their hands at making jewellery themselves! They also spent time working on a choza—the word for hut in the local indigenous language of Kichwa. This choza will be a place where the women’s group can meet and work on their crafts. This group was started as an alternative income program in partnership with Free The Children. The women will be able to sell their work at local markets, earning a sustainable income to support their families.
Where will your own journey take you?
These were just a few of the projects ME to WE Trips groups got to take part in this year! Now, it’s your turn to join the movement and play a role in creating lasting change for communities all over the world. Learn more and start your journey at metowe.com/trips.
