International educational partner Free the Children, and Vancouver-based social enterprise, Change Heroes, have teamed up in an effort to create change in a revolutionary way, with an unprecedented online funding platform.
Deep in the Amazon jungle of Ecuador, there is a small, remote, indigenous community called Mondaña, which is among the most vulnerable in Latin America. The families in this community face significant barriers to education, clean water and sanitation, healthcare, alternative income and food security.
A Minga is a way of life in Ecuador. When a Minga is called, men, women, children and elders, all drop what they’re doing and rally together to complete a project for the benefit of the their community. It’s about building a better future. It’s about teamwork. Change Heroes is helping to introduce an act of collaborative giving by combining this ancient Ecuadorian tradition with Change Heroes’ accessible technology, with the goal of turning Mondaña into a sustainable community.
Together, Free The Children and Change Heroes are encouraging individuals to sign up and help raise money that will go directly towards providing education, clean water and sanitation, healthcare initiatives, alternative income programs and food security to the children and families in Mondaña, Ecuador, helping to break the cycle of poverty forever.
Founder and CEO of Change Heroes, Taylor Conro stated, “We’re doing our part by pioneering a friend-funding movement with a platform that allows anyone to easily raise $10,000 with the help of their social network,” says Taylor Conroy, Change Heroes’ Founder and CEO. “Our formula is simple – 33 friends give $3.33/day for 3 months, which totals $10,000 raised.”
“Change Heroes is a fantastic platform to further our fundraising efforts,” Free Children’s co-founder, Craig Kielburger explained. “Together we can take action to transform the lives of thousands of people living in Mondaña, Ecuador and provide families with holistic development and sustainable resources – the key to ensuring that they never need charity again.”
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