In support of UNICEF, MGCI Key Club held a fundraiser from 11 to 13 April at lunch in the galleria to raise money for a campaign called Educate a Child. The funds raised totaled around seventy dollars, all of which will go to UNICEF. Educate a Child is a cooperation between UNICEF and Her Highness Sheikha Moza bint Nasser of Qatar; its goal is to provide quality education to over 3.3 million underprivileged children, regardless of race, gender, ethnicity, or culture. At the moment, approximately 61 million primary school-aged children do not have access to education, whether it is due to conflict, natural disaster, or socioeconomic circumstances.
For the fundraiser, students were encouraged to donate to the cause and Key Club set up a banner where students could put their handprint or write a message on a paper cutout to show their support. Members of Key Club also went around the school collecting funds and raising awareness for the cause, emphasizing that everyone has a right to education.
MGCI students running the Educate a Child Fundraiser in the Galleria. Photo: Julien Lin
MGCI Key Club is a part of the collective system of Key Clubs around Eastern Canada. Each year, a district convention is held from 30 March to 1 April, which concludes the Key Club year. During the convention, new executives are elected, who take charge after 1 April. “The [Educate a Child] campaign fits well with the values of Key Club,” club member Yong Da Li commented. “Keep in mind that there’s someone else in the world your age who doesn’t go to school.”
Educate a Child was launched in November 2012 and has already improved the lives of half a million children in seventeen countries. The project has constructed classrooms, educated teachers, and provided learning materials such as textbooks and desks that students in impoverished countries do not have. Education could give many people the opportunity to escape poverty and change their lives for the better.
