Dave Cuddy founded Education is Power with the goal of helping students in Kenya and Tanzania continue their education.
A new initiative recently launched with Grade 6, 7 and 8 students at Spencer middle school could provide the springboard that enables him to greatly increase the number of students assisted by his charitable foundation.
Founded in 2009, Education is Power has so far helped 100 students in the two countries deal with the high cost of education and provide additional activities beyond the classroom. Twenty-six of those students have received financial support for post-secondary education.
B次元官网网址淚t costs about 10 times as much for post-secondary as high school,B次元官网网址� Cuddy said, shortly after returning from two weeks in Kenya. B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 important to go there to see how itB次元官网网址檚 working on the ground, to keep relationships going and to generate more ideas in person.B次元官网网址�
His father, Ken, who has volunteered as the organizationB次元官网网址檚 accountant and treasurer since its inception, accompanied him on the trip.
Students and teachers at Spencer middle school spent 18 months working on a Skype video chat project, and created a promotional video to help spread the word about the work Education is Power is doing. They raised $400 for the project, an amount tripled by the Karen and Fred Green Fund. The Greens initiated the Vancouver FoundationB次元官网网址檚 Triple Hope Campaign for African Kids and Youth.
B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 quite exciting to get local school kids involved in doing video chats,B次元官网网址� Cuddy said. B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e working hard to continue that relationship using Spencer and another school in Vancouver as test pilots. Adding more schools would be a huge help in that regard.
Sustaining fundraising is an important part of what the group does, he added.
B次元官网网址淧art of the reason we put the video together is to heighten awareness about what Education is Power is doing and to help our organization become more financially sustainable. The more schools we can involve, the more kids in Tanzania and Kenya we can help.B次元官网网址�
Cuddy points out that Education is Power benefits local students as well by fostering teamwork, leadership skills and by providing a global perspective to the fundraising they do here.
It costs about $40,000 a year to provide the necessary financial support for students already being assisted in Africa, and to cover the cost of three primary school teachers.
Cuddy aims to use the video to target teachers in Canada in the hope that they will get their administration staff, schools, parents and students involved.
He was inspired to form Education is Power after he took part in a Canada World Youth exchange program in Kenya and Tanzania in 2006.
B次元官网网址淚t opened my eyes to the huge struggle kids face to go to school there,B次元官网网址� said Cuddy, who works in carpentry, outdoor education and as an outdoor adventure guide. B次元官网网址淚 was really impressed by their community involvement and their concern for the environment. If anyone deserves a hand going to school, itB次元官网网址檚 these kids.B次元官网网址�
Cuddy co-founded the volunteer-driven initiative with Kenyan students he got to know during his time there in 2005 and when they spent time in Canada during the exchange.
HeB次元官网网址檚 looking forward to completing the Master of Global Management program at Royal Roads University in the next two months, in part because it will free up more time for his efforts to expand the work Education is Power is doing on the other side of the globe.
reporter@goldstreamgazette.com
