BSU Chapter of Free the Children Blog

Hi All! We are starting a blog for BSU Chapter of Free the Children. We will be updating it with events, awareness, videos, campaigns, etc. Here are some of the highlights of our past year at Bridgewater State University :

BSU Free the Children spreading awareness by chalking under the train tunnel at BSU! This created interest about Free the Children and created awareness around child rights. 


"Education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world" -Nelson Mandela

Halloween for Hunger - BSU FTC members helped organize and run Halloween for Hunger, a campaign that helps end hunger in our local community by collecting canned goods and food instead of trick-or-treating for candy! Many members of FTC who are also in FAM for Change Mentoring Program went with FAM for Change Mentees to collect the food on Halloween.

Vow of Silence - Did you know that 121 million children are denied the right to go to school? On November 19th, FTC members and friends took the Vow of Silence. The Vow was to raise awareness about the children throughout the world whose voices have been silenced by poverty, hunger, and exploitation. In addition to taking the Vow, we spread awareness and raised money for our school building project in Sierra Leone - we even got FAM for Change Mentee's involved in the campaign!

One Night Out - Did you know that on any given night three million people in the US are homeless? Free the Children helped run FAM for Change Mentoring Program One Night Out Campaign. This Free the Children Campaign done by FAM for Change raised awareness about homelessness in the local community of Brockton and around the world. FAM for Change mentors and mentees spent one night at the Boys and Girls Club in Brockton where they simulated a night in a homeless shelter. They learned about the causes, myths, and issues related to homelessness. They made signs and held a candlelight vigil on Warren Av. in Brockton, as well as slept on the gym floor. This night included speaker Dr. Michelle Wakin from BSU who is actively involved in homeless issues and prevention. We also had the opportunity to hear from Cheryl Opper - founder of School on Wheels Massachusetts which is a tutoring program for homeless children. The FAM mentors and mentees were able to learn about the issue of homelessness and spread awareness in their own community through this event.

Focus on Southern Sudan : January Independence Referendum -  BSC FTC spread awareness about the referendum in Southern Sudan that decided whether or not Southern Sudan would become its own country. (It was passed!) The event was able to educate about the history of Sudan and well as the importance of the referendum. The panel and discussion was lead by Abraham Mun and Franco Majok, both from Southern Sudan, and Dr. Sandra Popiden from the Political Science Department. African Studies program cosponsored the event.

Robin Wiszowaty - A motivational speaker, community development worker and author, Robin has devoted her life to helping others. Robin has made Kenya her home, serving as the Kenya program director with Free The Children to implement long-term development projects in partnership with local communities.Free the Children Chapter of BSU brought Robin to come to Bridgewater State University to share her stories about the lives of the rural Maasai community members, as well as her own experiences and work within Kenya. She left us with “Opportunity is not a chance, it's a choice,” that we each have the choice to create change through our actions and decisions each day.

Red Hand Day - There are over 300,000 children used in war around the world. These children are often forced to leave their families, forced to kill, mistreated, denied an education, and left with physical and emotional scars that last throughout their life. Red Hand Day raised awareness about the use of child soldiers in the world by collecting red hands prints in solidarity against the use of children in war and showing documentaries and providing information and facts about this issue around the campus.

Noam Chomskey- Noam Chomsky, American linguist, philosopher, cognitive scientist, and political activist  has taught at MIT for 56 yrs. He has authored over 100 books and is the most quoted person in the world. He is also the world's leading critique of the unjust use of power. On February 24th Noam Chomskey spoke at the First Parish Unitarian Universalist Church in Bridgewater, MA. BSU Free the Children was given the opportunity to have a table during the event in which we raised donations and spread awareness about our chapter. With the help of the Unitarian Church and Noam Chomskey $250 was donated towards Free the Children's school building project. 

Rhyme for a Reason - During African Awareness Week BSU Chapter of Free the Children sponsored Rhyme for a Reason - A night of socially conscious poetry, song, and stories from BSU students, alumni, and community members. We were able to raise awareness about child rights about about our school building project in Sierra Leone!

Mama Charlotte- Socially Justice League sponsored and Free the Children Co-Sponsored Mama Charlotte coming to BSU! Former Black Panther, Mama Charlotte Hill O'Neal is am accomplished poet, musician and visual artist, and Founding Director of Tanzania's United African Alliance Community Center (UAACC), a community-based organization which promotes community development in rural Africa. The center includes classes for over 100 youth in the community and the Leaders of Tomorrow Children's Home. She shared poetry, stories, and a viewing of the film A Panther in Africa . She shared the importance of peace and building community.

Shoeless 4 Sierra Leone- Our upcoming event is Shoeless for Sierra Leone! We will be hosting a 3 v 3 Barefoot Soccer Tournament in Tinsley Soccer Field! This is the first Springfest event and will be lots of fun. To create a team email aruelas@student.bridgew.edu or just come to watch and support! The event is to raise awareness about child rights in Sierra Leone - did you know that during the civil war 10,000 children in Sierra Leone were taken to be child soldiers? Come out to stand up for child rights and have a good time!

P.S. Donate to our school building project for Sierra Leone!