Local youths’ event to aid Kenyan education effort

A group of Orangeville District Secondary School students are spearheading an effort to provide children in Kenya with adequate education.

Their aim is to stage a benefit concert at the Orangeville Fairgrounds with the goal of making enough money to help fund the building of a school in that African country’s rural region.

Three of the students attended Monday’s Orangeville Council meeting, where they asked council for financial and moral support.

“It is estimated that approximately 90 million children worldwide do not have access to any form of education,” ODSS student Summer Goulden told council. “We would like to do our part in reducing this number, and would appreciate an opportunity to further discuss this goal.”

Fellow student and project participant Amanda Graves told council it would cost approximately $6,000 to stage the event and figured that some, but not all, of the amount could garnered through fund-raising efforts. She sought about $4,000 from the town and asked council members to represent the group – all of whom are below the age of majority – when it comes to signing necessary contracts.

While council stopped short of guaranteeing financial support, councillors Mary Rose, Scott Wilson and Mayor Rob Adams all agreed to help the group in its logistical and legal efforts.

“Our objective is to raise a minimum of $10,000 through ticket and merchandise sales,” Ms. Goulden told council. “This concert will showcase local talent along with rising stars from Orangeville and surrounding areas. We estimate the turnout to be approximately 1,200 people.”

The proceeds will go to Free the Children, an organization founded by Craig Kielburger of Toronto when he was 12 years old.

Mr. Kielburger was inspired to form Free the Children after he read a Toronto Star story concerning the murder of a child labourer and children’s rights activist who was Mr. Kielburger’s same age at the time of his death.

Since then, the organi- zation has been involved in projects for needy children throughout the world; these include the building of schools. Proceeds from the Orangeville benefits will go toward providing primary school for children living in a rural community in Kenya.

One member of the Orangeville group, which calls itself Youth in Action, has seen the desperate straits of children first-hand.

Kimberly Stuckey was born in Canada, but grew up in Brazil, where her parents worked with severely underprivileged children. “I saw kids who would have given anything to have someone reach out and build a school for them,” she recalls.

“I hear someone complain about their iPod not working and I say to myself: ‘If you only knew what people have to go through (in poorer countries).’”

Adds Ms. Graves: “We feel we’re forced to go to school. There are kids who would do anything for the opportunity to go to school.”

The plan is to stage a concert aimed at all ages and is open to all genres of music.

Auditions are planned for April or May. The four or five acts selected will play for free. “The can lend their talent to a good cause and promote themselves at the same time,” explains Ms. Stuckey. “It’s a win-win situation for them.”

The concert is tentatively scheduled to take place in the final two weeks of August.