Vow of Silence- Wednesday November 30th 2011

121 million children are denied access to a primary school education - over half are girls.

215 million children are forced to work as child laborers.

1 in 3 children in developing countries are malnourished.

Why take the Vow? We won’t stand by while children are subjected to exploitation,poverty and the denial of their basic rights. Every day, millions of children are silenced by these abuses. But we can take a stand for children everywhere.

How can I take the Vow? Join us and take the Vow of Silence Wednesday November 30th to stand in solidarity for children whose voices have been silenced. Learn the facts, spread awareness, and take action through the Vow of Silence by vowing to remain silent for 24 hours, handing out information about child rights, collecting pledges to help children around the world, and making a statement that these facts are not ok - that we need to stand up for child rights.

When is the Vow? The Vow is Wednesday November 30th 2011. We will be doing the Vow at BSU but people on this day around the world are doing the vow with friends, family, in schools, work, etc. If you will not be at BSU you can still take the Vow and join us!

We will also be collecting pledges to raise money to build a school in Sierra Leone. To learn more about the campaign, or get involved, check out the links below and read our other blog entries to learn more about FTC. To donate to our school building project click the link at the top of the page! Feel free to contact k1wilber@student.bridgew.edu with any questions!

Free the Children Vow of Silence Campaign

Join BSU FREE THE CHILDREN on Facebook!

Join the BSU Vow of Silence Facebook Event!

Horn of Africa Event!

29,000 children under the age of 5 have died as a direct result of the drought.

 

One and a half years without enough rain, ongoing conflict and high food prices have left 12 million people in need of emergency aid.



Somolian mother and child refugees

The current drought in East Africa is the worst it has been in 60 years - affecting 13.3 million people in Somolia, Kenya, Ethiopia and the Horn of Africa. This was predicted in 2010 when rains stopped in early November in the region, when normally October through December is a short rain growing season before a “dry stretch” that lasts from January to March. Without the rains before the dry period, conditions worsened as December was described as hot and dry. The lack of rain and growing season lead to poor crops, food shortages, livestock death, and lack of water. Millions of families and children suffer consequences of the drought; at risk of hunger, disease, and displacement. 

 

On November 16th Free the Children sponsored the Horn of Africa Event! The event was put on to raise awareness about the drought in East Africa.  Through the Horn of Africa Event Free the Children BSU was able to raise awareness with faculty speakers Dr. Jonathan White and Dr. James Hayes-Bohanan,  KHAKATAY African Drumming Ensemble, spoken word and songs, and a silent auction. With the support of those who came to the event we raised over $700 to go to Free the Children Adopt a Village projects in East Africa that are currently being affected by the drought. Thank you to organizations who co-sponsored - African Studies Program, Seeds of the Poet Tree, ASA, CVSA, Social Justice League! Thank you to those who listened, learned, supported, and donated!

 

Join with us and be a friend to East Africa - To donate to Free the Children in East Africa and learn more about the work FTC is doing in partnership with communities in Kenya click here .

$10 provides meals for a child for a month

$50 Provides meals for a Mama and her children for a month

$100 supports the irrigation and improvement of a school garden

$250 enables a family to gain access to water for their household and crops