Oprah's angels come to aid of Free the Children: Canadian organization to share $1 million U.S. to rebuild schools, clinics in ravaged Sri Lanka The Canadian-based aid agency Free the Children is one of three relief and development agencies that will share $1 million U.S. from Oprah Winfrey's Angel Network. Free the Children, the group founded in 1995 by Craig Kielburger, then only 12 years old, will be working along with Mercy Corps, which offers residents employment cleaning up in a cash-for-work program, and Habitat for Humanity, which plans to put up temporary shelters and later permanent houses. Free the Children's Adopt a Village program aims to rebuild schools, provide school supplies, build health clinics and produce clean water in the area around Pottuvil, one of the hardest-hit areas in Sri Lanka, near where Canada's Disaster Assistance Response Team, or DART, is already at work. "It's just a great vote of confidence in our programs and our projects," said Marc Kielburger, executive director of Free the Children. Ms. Winfrey made the announcement on her show yesterday after a segment on tsunami survivors. The Angel Network is a foundation funded by donations from Ms. Winfrey's viewers. "Your generous donations are once again going to be put to great use. I will personally see to that," said Ms. Winfrey yesterday. "Together, if we choose to be, we can be the ultimate force of nature." Free the Children was founded to help draw attention to the issue of child labour and create alternative sources of income for working children. The group also encourages young people to bring about social change. Between 1998 and 2004, Free the Children built 36 schools in 11 countries. "This a long-term program for us," said Mr. Kielburger of tsunami relief. "We'll be there for multiple years. When the focus of the world moves, we will remain there." |