This is a Sponsored Post written by me on behalf of Making Change . All opinions are 100% mine.
June 1, 2010 is International Children’s Day and is being celebrated by Bilaal Rajan, a wise young man who at the age of 4, set out to raise funds for earthquake victims in Gujarat, India. He has also raised money to combat global poverty, funds to help Haiti after the 2004 hurricane, and has helped to donate thousands of dollars to UNICEF. This year, Bilaal plans to take part in the Barefoot Challenge, an initiative he began in order to “live life without shoes”.
At the age of just 13, Bilaal Rajan is asking everyone to join him in making change now by simply taking off your shoes and go barefoot. It doesn’t matter if you’re at work, school or home, just go barefoot! How easy is that!
The goal of The Barefoot Challenge is to raise awareness of those who are not so fortunate to have shoes or other items that many of us consider common place. Children around the world go without all types of things from shoes to clothing to food and they need our help. Personally, I love the slogan on the Making Change website, “Go Bare Feet With Bilaal And Make Change – One Step At A Time”.
Remember, Tuesday, June 1, leave your shoes in the closet!
Change – It’s the new buzz word. We have heard it repeatedly over the last two years of political campaigning and it is Barack Obama’s campaign mantra. I do believe we need change, not just in politics, but in our lives. Another individual who believed changes needed to be made is Bilaal Rajan. Not only did he believe changes were needed, he made change happen. The amazing part of this story is that Bilaal is only 12 years old!
At the age of 4 Bilaal Rajan saw a need to help underprivileged children and he believed that, regardless of his age, he was more than capable of making change, and he was right. He has rallied the youth of Canada to raise donations for UNICEF which in turn, inspired corporations to make generous donations of medicine, food and other aid. His successful efforts over the last 8 years have raised over $5 million, remember, is only 12! He has also become the youngest Ambassador for UNICEF, ever.
Bilaal wants to continue his efforts and has set a goal of inspiring 1 million kids over the next 3 years to get involved and make our World a better place. He is a firm believer in the phrase, “anything is possible” and to inspire others he has written a book, “Making Change: Tips from an Underage Overachiever” that includes 94 fund raising ideas. He’s truly an inspiration for everyone. If you’re looking for a charitable cause, this could be the one.
