Imagine battling for basic rights, entitled to many in Canada, every single day. Imagine facing barriers to education, making intellectual growth an extreme challenge. Imagine the affect this would have on both your personal well-being, and the society you live in. On this land, many of us are privileged enough to cherish our access to education, which is generally recognized as a basic right. To the contrary, we ourselves have a ways to go in ensuring that education becomes a right to all.
It is important to recognize access to education as an issue which is prevalent in many places around the world. Each year, the World University Service of Canada launches an initiative to support women in East Africa who face barriers to education. Evidently, there is a gender divide there, as men go to school at 5:1 ratio to women in Kenya. Another issue is funding, which is crucial to structuring educational institutions. As many East African girls stay home to care for siblings, they are unable to study (if ever) until nighttime.
Hence, the Shine a Light Campaign: an initiative to raise funds to support the WUSC mission. Funds will go toward lightbulbs and lanterns, though focuses on tackling education issues in a more general framework. WUSC at Trent aims to support this campaign through awareness and fundraising. To help support this cause, swing by the Spill on November 23rd for our Shine a Mic Campaign. We’ll kick off at 6pm and wrap things up by 8pm. Feel free and encouraged to share some pieces you’ve been crafting; anything from poetry to theatrics is welcome. All proceeds go towards the Shine a Light mission, though performances are not limited to the theme. Allow your creative prose to brighten our minds on issues dearest to you, as we collectively shed light upon barriers to education faced by young women in East Africa. Imagine the potential to grow in a society that permits access to education for all that inhabit it. Education is a human right, and education changes the world, so join us on November 23rd to bring educational issues to the forefront. For any more questions about the Shine a Light campaign, shoot us an email at wuscattrent@gmail.com.