Why is Craig a nominee?
Craig Kielburger has been nominated as WCPRC Decade Child Rights Hero 2009 for his struggle to free children from poverty, abuse and other violations of the rights of the child. But he also wants to empower children to influence decision-makers and to contribute to a better world for children. Craig founded Free The Children (FTC) in 1995, when he was 12. Since then, FTC has built more than 500 schools for 50,000 pupils in 21 countries, and sent 200,000 packages of materials for healthcare and schools, as well as medical equipment worth 9 million US dollars. FTC has given gifts of cows, goats, sewing machines or land to 20,000 women, so that they can earn money and their children don’t have to work. FTC has also provided 123,000 people with clean water. The children themselves have paid for most of this. Over 1 million children and young people in 45 countries have learned, through FTC, to help other children, and that they have the right and the power to demand respect for the rights of the child.