WE Villages

WE Charity is zeroing in on three urgent needs to fight COVID-19 in our WE Village communities: building public awareness to support prevention, strengthening the health of the most vulnerable before they are exposed to disease, and ensuring health care workers have the resources they need. Read how WE Charity is preparing for the storm on the front lines: http://ow.ly/4Yce30qvP6Q

Meet you at the goat market! In Haiti, women participate in a 18-month intensive business program. Watch one group of graduates pass on their knowledge to the next. This program is called Granmoun Tet Nou which is Creole for our best selves. #InternationalWomensDay #IWD2020 #EachForEqual

Mulki Bai spends her days hiking over the Rajasthani hills, looking to bring maternal health to remote villages. Caroline Makena Kinyua is a teacher who took a risk to broaden her students horizons through the power of theatre. In Ecuador, women everyday are breaking tradition by going to school to get an education and thrive through their Minga bracelet business. These are only a few of the many stories of women who WE Charity works with around the world and who are doing incredible work to empower themselves and their communities. Today, on #InternationalWomensDay, we celebrate their courage, strength and passion. Read their stories here: https://linktr.ee/wevillages

This is the completed school-kitchen and dining hall from Los Rios in the Amazon, this picture was taken on the eve of the grand opening of the kitchen! Its very rare to have a photo at dusk from Amazon because our teams do not travel on the river at night, as its very unpredictable. So its not often you see classrooms lit up with electricity The person featured in this photo is Ismael and hes the Construction Manager responsible for the Education Pillar. Hes truly a ray of sunshine!

In January 2010 a 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck Haiti, destabilizing the country. One decade later, WE Charity looks at the rebuilding efforts in the countryside.

School supplies for Carla and her class. Clean for Nepapa. Health care for Rose. ... This #GivingTuesday, #GiftGood with gifts that change lives: www.we.org

On #WorldAIDSDay, a woman in Kenya shares how HIV/AIDS stigma shattered her life and the steps shes taken to rebuild it.

A 13-year-old was forced to drop out of school to get married. But her friends werent going to let it happen without a fight. On #InternationalDayoftheGirlChild, meet the girls fighting #childmarriage in Ethiopia. #DayoftheGirl http://ow.ly/jFJQ50wIANv

WE Charitys Agricultural Learning Center helps farmers in Ecuadors Amazon region revive failing crops. But can these small-scale farmers take a chunk out of the global chocolate market?

Happy #InternationalCoffeeDay! Watch how ME to WE Coffee farmer Carmen Chavez is teaching her daughter to be courageous and strong, in an unconventional way.

In Kenyas Maasai Mara, doctors from Baraka Hospital team up with American medics for a specialized peer-to-peer program with patient care at its heart. Read how the trip inspired passion, perspective and partnership between colleagues from across the world.

Today is International Day of Charity and we're celebrating the people & the WE Villages communities we partner with. We're celebrating the people who make doing good, doable. We're celebrating you. Whether you've volunteered your time, donated, fund raised, or just committed to being kinder to people, youre apart of making a positive change in the world - and we thank you from the bottom of our hearts. Change is not possible without your efforts. by Jamie Napier

Families in the Maasai Mara celebrate a new wing to their local school and the promise of a better future for the community's children. #education #brightfuture #kenya http://ow.ly/f3JO50vzW4A

Mobile clinics serve our WE Villages partner communities across the Amazon, including Los Rios, Bellavitsa, Hatun Urku, Kanambu and Cruz Chitca and other communities along the Napo River. The WE Team purchased medical equipment such as stretchers, diagnostic equipment, and worked on coordinating logistics and transportation to get the program started. The presence of these mobile brigades helps to edzzate rural communities on healthy practices and offer basic medical treatme...nt for community members. Men, women, and children have been vaccinated against chicken pox, examined for intestinal parasites, bronchitis, and expecting mothers have been trained on the importance of caring for a newborn. Since these medical brigades started in 2018 we have been able to serve over 800 patients between January 2018 and June 2019 and will only continue to grow. Photo Credit: Sara Cornthwaite

Have you ever wondered how your favourite chocolate is made? From bean to bar, this is the story of the cacao farmers behind ME to WE chocolate and their delicious journey to opportunity. #NationalMilkChocolateDay

Just like Nelson Mandela, parents in rural Kenya are proving that education is the most powerful weapon when changing the world:

What an amazing day celebrating our #WEcollege!

Images from our WE College Celebration. A celebration which included a visit from Her Excellency Margaret Kenyatta, The First Lady of the Republic of Kenya, a ribbon-cutting ceremony, plaque reveal, performances by local talent and speeches from local and global dignitaries. The WE College is the natural culmination to WEs educational programming, completing the educational loop in rural Kenya so that learners can be supported throughout their academic careers. It gives st...udents the opportunity to remain close to home while continuing their studies and working toward careers that contribute to their communities. With the technical and specialized skills they gain at WE College, students are empowered with the resources to become community leaders, driving transformative growth and inspiring future generations. Photos from: Sara Cornthwaite

First Lady Margaret Kenyatta calls for more education opportunities for vulnerable women and girls MAASAI MARA, Narok County, 17 July 2019 (PSCU): First Lady ...Margaret Kenyatta has called on education sector stakeholders in the country to create more opportunities for women and girls especially those whose education is disrupted for whatever reason. The First Lady who spoke today when she presided over the official opening of the WE College in Enelerai, Narok County said there is need to find solutions for girls and women whose education has either been delayed or disrupted by socio-cultural barriers that stand on their way. "I urge us to keep this initiative going so that we find ways to educate more girls and boys; and to find answers for the girls and women whose education has been delayed or disrupted, the First Lady said. WE College is a unique tertiary institution offering a range of courses to vulnerable girls from the largely pastoral Maasai community in Narok County. The college offers tailored courses in nursing, public health and tourism and is working on introducing new training programmes in clinical medicine and surgery, community health, laboratory sciences and health information management. The college which is sponsored by the WE Charity of Canada has adopted a unique training framework that gives young learners their first school experience followed by their first job exposure while remaining close to their families in a familiar environment. The First Lady who was joined at the opening ceremony by former Canadian First Lady Margaret Trudeau and former Canadian Prime Minister Kim Campbell urged the youth in the institution's catchment area to embrace the opportunity presented by the facility adding that education makes the highest return among all social investments. Education yields the highest return of any social investment or intervention that we can give our children and break the cycle of poverty, she said. She said the training model at the college provides transformative opportunities for the Kenyan youth and applauded the sponsors for adopting a framework that seeks to eliminate barriers that cause high drop out rates especially among girls who are often left behind due to cultural, social and financial barriers. Besides Canada where it has its global headquarters, WE Charity has presence in 44 other countries among them Britain, USA, Kenya, India, Ecuador, Nicaragua, Haiti, Sierra Leone, China and Ethiopia. In the 16 years since the organization began partnering with the Maasai and Kipsigis communities in Kenya, schools, hospitals and libraries have been built, water projects, public toilets, kitchens and teacher accommodations put up and large parcels of land but under irrigation agriculture. In Narok County, the charity has put up and equipped over 30 primary schools, two secondary schools (one each for boys and girls) and two hospitals among other key infrastructure. The First Lady who made an extensive tour of the WE Charity facilities at Enelerai including the Baraka Hospital thanked the organization for the investments as she applauded the residents of the area for their collaboration and support. I applaud the investment in the Baraka Level 4 Hospital and the Women Empowerment Centre that are part of the WE Charity programs that help remove the barriers that sometimes impede communities from development, the First Lady said. Besides the First Lady, Narok Governor Samuel Tunai, Chief Administrative Secretary for Interior Patrick Ole Ntutu and the Principal Secretary for TVET Dr Kevit Desai also spoke. Dr Desai represented Education Cabinet Secretary Prof. George Magoha. Mr Craig Kielburger who co-founded WE Charity aged 12 years in 1995 and the Canadian High Commissioner to Kenya, Ambassador Lisa Stadelbauer also spoke at the opening ceremony.

Meet the woman leading ME to WE travellers on jungle hikes to protect the Amazon rainforest.

Happy World Chocolate Day This story comes from the coastal village of Chone, Ecuador, where chocolate isnt just a treat. Its a Fairtrade treasure for the whole community. But does chocolate have the power to change academic futures? more

A fully functioning hospital is an unlikely set for a music video, but thats not holding this lively group of women back. #WorldMusicDay https://www.we.org//not-your-average-music-video-celebrat/

Their family has fostered the traditions of tie-dye and block printing in India for generations. Now, thats being passed on to ME to WE travellers.

Watch a group of ME to WE travelers walk miles in anothers shoes for clean water, and come back with a new perspective. #CleanWaterOn https://www.we.org//world-water-day-stories-youth-volunte/

Today is #WorldWaterDay WE celebrates the new water kiosk in Kenyas Oloirien community, knowing that every drop will create a ripple of change. Watch the communitys reaction & see how turning #CleanWaterOn will transform their days. Full story here: http://ow.ly/BO2t30o7A6m

Throughout the mountainous highlands of #Ecuador, Kichwa communitiesindigenous to the regionstruggled to access water, even when it was available. Read the full story here http://ow.ly/poZp30o7R0j It's time to help Kichwa communities have access to water. Help turn #CleanWaterOn by donating to WE.

From where I left off, she will continue, Sohan Lohar is determined to give his daughter Mamta (pictured) the best possible future. But without access to clean water, her chances of making it to school decrease exponentially. Read the full story here & help turn #CleanWaterOn so Mamta can go to school: http://ow.ly/Gbjm30o7C3i

On #InternationalWomensDay, we celebrate the quiet revolutionaries behind the ME to WE Minga Bracelet. For these young women artisans working to put themselves through school and advance gender equality in their communities, every stitch and knot is a subtle act of defiance.

Happy #WorldWildlifeDay! We hope giraffe-ing a great weekend @jamesdnapier

Adanech Tadessa doesnt know the date of her birth. She figures shes about 42, though she had to ask the elders in her community to help her work it out. She dropped out of school in Grade 7, after her parents forced her to get married, and worked as a cleaner and cook. Three years ago, she decided to go back. Today, shes a Grade 9 student in the high school she once used to clean a grade behind her oldest daughter. . Her family, her husband and six children, are in full support. During the weekends, they take over her chores so that she has time to do her homework. Her bravery has also earned her the respect of her classmates and the community at large. Even if theyd objected, shed still have done it. . The only thing I'm led by is my mind, so I don't care what others say. I'm doing what I want for me.

Happy Hump Day! . This is just one of the amazing farmers whose camels transport their harvest to their homes and the market. With @MEtoWE theyve found an extra market, where travellers get to have a ride on one of these famed creatures, and travellers benefit from their knowledge on the surrounding landscape. by @thehappycolombian

How many of you have had the chance to meet our delightful parrot princess, Yolanda? If youre planning on coming to Ecuador on a ME to WE trip, make sure to save her some of your pancakes! Jamie Napier #traveltuesday

Sending love to our incredible team and communities in #Haiti, who work relentlessly to build better lives for themselves in the rural region where WE works. And were so grateful to our donor community for making our programming (see below for health and education photos ) possible.

You only need two chemicals to grow cacao: love and faith. This Valentines Day, these farmers are learning how to love and nurture their cacao crops. The first ever cacao training for farmers kicked off today, the first monthly event to take place over the course of 6 months. The event garnered so much interest, it had to be moved to Minga Lodge because the Adult Learning Center couldnt accommodate the crowd! Our WE trainer Melquiades, known as the cocoa engineer tells the crowd about the history of cocoa and how to care for the plant. Fun Fact: Cacao was first consumed in the Amazon!

Mary Ngerechi, a Maasai Mara teen, refused to let science be a boys club. Read more about how she's sought out to be one of the most desired lab partners in her class!

A 13-year-old was forced to drop out of school to get married. But her friendspart of the schools Girls Clubwerent going to let it happen without a fight.