Craig Kielburger

A young Craig Kielburger (http://www.global1.youth-leader.org/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/kielb3.jpg ())

In 1995, a twelve year old boy named Craig Kielburger gathered eleven school friends and began a fight to end child labor. Since then Craig has established the world's largest organization to end child labor. Free the Children is known as "the world's largest network of children helping children through education", and since 1995 the organization has done nothing but flourish.

Craig Kielburger was born in Thornhill, Ontario on Decemeber, 19, 1972. He came from a average income family and attended a average school, however you would never know that by what he has accomplished. By the age of twelve Craig had done more then what most of us will do in our lives. One day while flipping through the Toronto Star a headline caught his attention, "Battled child labor, Boy, 12, Murdered", this headline forever changed his life. Angered and disturbed by the article Craig researched into child labor; with the help of some friends Craig founded a group known as "Twelve-Twelve Year Olds". Little did he know that this small group of friends would later become a world renowned organization.

Craig's rise to hero status was not an easy one, many countries and politicians were consumed with anger that a teenager was trying to tell them what to do. On the other hand Craig wasn't just trying to reach out to government officials, his main target was the general public and that was where his message was hitting home. The issues that Craig was trying to get across such as child labor and child prostitution were considered to be to controversial, however with the general public behind him many governments were forced to change their ways.

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Free the Children has now built over 650 schools and is responsible for providing over 55 thousand overseas children with proper education. Each year over 350 thousand students are engaged by motivational speaking and public appearances. Also there is at least 3500 active groups within developed countries working on Free the Children's behalf to make a change locally or globally. I have had the privilege of listening and meeting both Craig and his brother Marc (who is also a major partner in the organization). They are absolutely fantastic people and have achieved so many great things at such a young age and that is why they are so important to me. To think that I could make a global impact if I just get into the right mind frame is truly unbelievable.

Craig and Marc ( ())

Craig Kielburger is living proof that one thought and one person can make a difference. Craig could have read the article and went on living life as a happy Canadian twelve year old, however he decided he wanted to make a difference. I doubt that he originally planned to make a global impact, but that just shows you how much power a single idea has. Craig is 29 years old and has a extremely impressive resume, a resume that will only be added to in years to come. At the rate that Free the Children is operating child labor will be non existent in a few decades, all because a twelve year old boy had an idea.