In late November I got a call from my Dad telling me to make sure I watched “60 Minutes” as there were two great stories relating to Africa on that night. One was about Derek and Beverly Joubert and their incredible work documenting and filming lions and their behavior. I had the pleasure of meeting Derek and Beverly in Los Angeles at a screening of their incredible film “The Last Lions” and their work to save them via www.causeanuproar.org. You can read about this on my blog here.
But the story that really moved me and again confirmed my faith in the next generation was a story about a nonprofit organization called Free The Children. Started by one 12-year old boy who was moved by a story in the Toronto Star about child slavery, the organization is now 17 years old has grown into an international charity involving over 1.7 million youth in 45 countries. A portion of the “60 Minutes” piece focused on 2 kids who helped build a school in Kenya.
I was moved by the mutual joy of the kids who made this happen with their Kenyan peers who were going to take full advantage of this school to better their lives.
I am sure there are many stories out there of youth quietly going about making a difference in this world. And as we approach the end of another year and begin to reflect I am confident in knowing that the next generation will be there to make things better. Read more about Free the Children and see video clips from “60 Minutes” on their website: http://www.freethechildren.com/?gclid=CP–l6-2_bMCFcaDQgod1mYAXg