At a first glance Michel Chikwanine is a young handsome boy with a broad smile. However, his past and his childhood has nothing in common with most youth. Originally from Congo, Michel came to Canada almost 6 years ago, escaping the misery and suffering plaguing his country. His father was killed in the Great War of Africa. His crime was standing up for the human rights and well being of his countrymen. His family had to run away from the continent itself and was fortunate enough to be given an opportunity to build a life again in Canada through United Nations Human Rights Commission.
- “We have to see homeless and hungry as humans rather than as homeless men and women in the society. We should smile at them” – Michel Chikwanine, a former child soldier
When Michel was 10, the war began in Congo, and he and his family escaped to Uganda, and then eventually at the age of 16 he came to Ottawa.
His first memory in Ottawa was temperature of -42 degree Celsius. “It was shocking,” he says, “and it was hard to settle.”
With no education from Congo where teachers are killed, it is amazing to hear Michel speak English. It is hard to believe that he had learned it in a past few years. Now, he has graduated from high school and is a student at University of Toronto.
Michel is aware of issues like hunger, poverty, lack of education and healthcare in the world having faced it himself in Congo, however what issues does he see here in Canada, I ask him.
Living in Downtown Toronto, homeless people have attracted Michel’s attention. “We have to see them as humans rather than as homeless men and women in the society, maybe smile at them,” he says. “Every single person has some kind of struggle,” Michel says however your belief should be “yes, you can make it out; yes, there is hope..and keep being courageous.”
For a year after his arrival in Canada, Michel used local food banks. And he has come across many students who use food bank, “but they would never tell that they use food bank,” Michel says. “So hunger is another issue in Toronto.”
Michel has been working with Free The Children for the past two years.
Free The Children in an international development and youth empowerment non-profit organization. It has built more than 500 schools throughout India, Sri Lanka, Asia, Africa and Latin America, providing education to over 50,000 kids. Craig Chiliburger, the co-founder of Free The Children, is a 26-year-old young chap who has initiated excellent projects here at home as well as abroad.
“Locally we do Halloween for Hunger. We have over a million people who have volunteered..that’s more than any political party” in Canada, says Craig. Free The Children has launched summer camps, food banks, leadership programs for the youth and so on.
I asked Craig why don’t we focus on social issues here at home rather than starting projects abroad. And I have asked this question of a number of politicians, of professionals, of community leaders, of youth, however this was the first time I heard a reasonable answer.
“1 in 5 Canadians were not born in this country..so what is Canada..and we need to have a global vision,” Craig says. He adds there are people whose friends and families don’t live in Canada, so “I question where is home.” “We have won the lottery of life,” he says about life in Canada and this is exactly “why we need to look at global issues.”
Many a times I hear that issues of youth – youth of any community – are the same. Many complain that adults do not take youth’s initiatives seriously enough. Craig wholeheartedly agrees.
“Youth is not challenged enough to engage from local to global” – Craig Kielburger, the co-founder of Free The ChildrenWhen he read the newspaper article on the suffering of a child, he took it upon himself to come up with the idea of Free The Children. Just like any youth, he was told “to wait” to finish his education first, find a job and then think about poverty and hunger, climate change and war in the world. This he says is the youth issue – not being “challenged enough to engage from local to global,” not being taken seriously, having the youth to wait until they are 30 or 40 years old.
“Youth is not challenged enough to engage from local to global” – Craig Kielburger, the co-founder of Free The Children
Dalai Lama summed the challenge of our time best “The greatest challenge of our time is that we are raising the generation of bystanders.” Craig and Michel and many others are working tirelessly “to raise the generation of upstanders.”
How does youth get involved? Craig’s suggestion is to identify what you are most passionate about, and his experience has been that youth do get involved in issues that have affected them one way or the other. And he firmly believes that every youth has “a gift to share.” Issue + Gift = Change in the World
Craig has a unique perspective of bringing about political change. He feels that Canadian politicians have failed to inspire the youth with their lack of leadership; that “young people are interested in changing the world; they are just not doing it the way their parents did it.” Yes casting the ballot is important but that is just once in four years.
Youth, Craig feels, is more interested in bringing about social justice by joining non-for-profit organizations such as Free The Children. Be being engaged in organizations such as Free The Children is how their voices is heard the best.
Author: Asma Amanat
