Gr 11 student spearheads Change for Change campaign in Rainbow Schools

Meet the two people in Kenya who changed Jacqui Villeneuve’s outlook on life when she visited the village of Salabwek this summer.

Jacqui Villeneuve chats with Bonny. “We became good friends and we still talk over the phone,” she says. “We compared stories about growing up and our different cultures	JK student Gilbert “was the sweetest child I have ever met,” she says.

1.7 million children in Kenya do not go to school.  It’s hard for us to imagine how many children that really is. Picture more than half of Toronto being uneducated, not knowing how to read a book or spell their own names. These children dream of being pilots, teachers, doctors, and drivers but those dreams will never be a reality without education.  But we can provide them with that education by putting together our spare change and raising the funds to build schools.  We can realize their dreams and give them a chance at a better future.

A Grade 11 student from Confederation Secondary School is spearheading a drive to raise money to build a school in Africa and give children a chance at a better future.
Jacqui Villeneuve is inviting students to look under couch cushions and dig into piggy banks, pant pockets and old purses to collect as much change as possible for the Change for Change campaign this fall.

Villeneuve honed her leadership skills this summer when she worked alongside the children and elders of the village of Salabwek Kenya during a Me to We youth volunteer trip. “Together, we built two classrooms and we engaged in long conversations about what the elders of the community believe they need to have a successful future of the next generation,” she says. “They all agreed education is the key to bringing their children out of poverty.”

“Change for Change has the potential to raise enough money to build a school,” she adds.  “Students in Rainbow Schools who are participating in the campaign will be helping the children of Kenya reach their full potential.”

The Change for Change campaign will support Sudbury Minga for Maasai, a Free the Children development project. Minga, an Andean call of "coming together for the common good", fosters sustainability with communities helping communities. “Student leadership development, global citizenship, social advocacy, and demonstrated action based on the belief that individually and collectively we can make a difference are the building blocks for the project,” says organizer Lori Adams.

"By contributing to this project, students in Rainbow Schools are learning about different cultures and gaining a greater understanding about social issues such as education, poverty, health and sustainable development," says Jean Hanson, Director of Education for Rainbow District School Board. "Students are becoming leaders of positive change through good global citizenship."

She adds: "Rainbow District School Board is committed to education for sustainable development – enough, for all, forever. We believe action can have a positive impact on social and environmental issues here at home and around the world. So we certainly commend Jacqui Villeneuve for taking the initiative to lead Change for Change and giving everyone an opportunity to make a difference.”

-30-

Media Contact:

Nicole Charette, Senior Advisor,
Corporate Communications and Strategic Planning,
Rainbow District School Board, 674-3171, ext. 7217.