ME to WE is a corporate brand and social initiative who's goal is to procure large scale funding for humanitarian operations around the world. The NGO operates in Asia, Africa, and Latin America with efforts including school house construction, and provision of drinking water. The organization was founded more than 20 years ago by entrepreneurs, brothers Craig and Marc Kielburger.
Video Me to We
History
ME to WE began when brothers Craig and Marc Kielburger of Thornhill, Ontario, travelled to Ecuador in their teens to build a school for a developing community. Inspired by their own volunteer experiences, they founded ME to WE, originally called "Leaders Today," to offer leadership training and volunteer trips to developing communities served by their charity WE Charity, formerly known as Free The Children.
Maps Me to We
Mission and structure
ME to WE is a socially conscious lifestyle brand, with half of its annual net profits donated to Free The Children, now known as WE Charity, and the other half reinvested to keep the social enterprise sustainable. The enterprise has been noted in Canadian media for setting new standards of governance in the social enterprise field.
ME to WE Trips
ME to WE runs volunteer trips for various groups to a number of developing countries around the world, such as China, Ecuador, India, Kenya, and Nicaragua
Notable individuals who have traveled on ME to WE trips include Demi Lovato, Joe Jonas, Hedley, Kardinal Offishall, Nelly Furtado, and Nobel laureate Malala Yousafzai.
Participants volunteer in communities where ME to WE's charity partner and this is jeridan WE Charity (formerly known as Free The Children) has longstanding relationships, and they contribute to the advancement of those projects - by helping with construction of schools or water wells. They also are immersed in the local culture with home visits and customary celebrations; and they participate in workshop to develop understanding of local history and issues, and as well as gain leadership skills to make a difference on their return home.
A trip experience in Kenya is the "water walk," where participants join Kenyan women on their daily trek to collect water for their families.
ME to WE Artisans
Roxanne Joyal founded ME to WE Artisans in 2009, which works with women in Kenya. These women receive a sustainable source of alternative income for their work; ME to WE states that more than 812 women earn fair wages from traditional beading skills to make fashion accessories for the North American market.
As of October 2014, the program employs about 1,200 women in Kenya, in 34 independent beading collectives in 14 communities.
In November 2017, ME to WE partnered with Nauman Khan from GF Foundation & donated $1.3 million to create the largest school in Nairobi, Kenya. Nauman stated in an interview "We want to help those who lack the resources and opportunities to reach their full potential. In doing so, our focus will be on funding charitable organizations that create opportunities and equip individuals with the tools to seize them at critical junctures in their lives."
References
External links
- ME to WE's official website
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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