photo by hdptcar www.flickr.com
Currently, I am reading a very powerful book that is touching my life deeply and calling me to action. The book is called Half the Sky written by Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn,and it’s about women’s oppression around the world and how to combat it. I plan to start another blog in late spring or early summer about this subject targeted to teens and college students, but I wanted to tell you about an organization I found out about while reading this book. It was started by a seventh grade student, Zach Hunter, and is geared toward children and teens helping the fight against human trafficking and slavery around the world. It’s perfect for a class service learning project or even a year-long project for a home school group. So, let’s go. . .
Loose Change 2 Loosen Chains has a Facebook Cause page that anyone can join with a Facebook account. This organization is also connected with the International Justice Mission, which is relentless in fighting slavery that still exists in the world today. If you don’t believe me or think–there’s no way slavery exists in the 21st century, I encourage you to find a copy of Half the Sky at a bookstore, library, or online, and start reading.
If you are interested in finding out more about how you can do a service learning project with Loose Change 2 Loosen Chains, then you can email [email protected] with your snail mail address and get a tool kit. You can also visit Free the Slaves website for information on what slavery looks like around the world today. You can share some of these stories with students–depending on the age of your students or your children, you can decide how much detail to go into. However, in my opinion, even the youngest child can understand that taking away someone’s freedom based on religion, race, or sex is wrong; and they don’t need all the gory details but can still understand that some 10-year-old girl living her life in a brothel without being able to go outside and play or even go to school is not right.
On the Loose Change 2 Loosen Chains Facebook Cause Page, Zach Hunter has written that: “27 million people are still in slavery today. It’s estimated that 50 % are children. They may be tricked with the promise of a good job, deceived or sold, working in brothels, brick kilns, on plantations and in many industries.”
On the International Justice Mission website, it is written: “According to Real Simple magazine there is $10.5 billion in loose change lying around American households. Imagine what you could do if you were to collect even just a fraction of this amount and use it for a good cause!”
So contact Loose Change to Loosen Chains either through [email protected] or at [email protected] and get your starter kit today. Your life and your children’s or students’ lives may be changed forever with this service learning project.
Finally, I would like to announce that Cinda B. won the Aries Rising book by Bonnie Hearn Hill from last week’s giveaway contest. Thank you to everyone who left a comment and even came back once the technical difficulties were fixed! 