Break Out!
Inspired by the celebrated CBC Television series, Break Out shares the real stories of young people turning ideas into action.
Alaina Podmorow was nine when she learned that girls in Afghanistan were kept from school because families could not afford teachers. She launched a fundraising effort and started a group called Little Women for Little Women in Afghanistan, LWFLW, expanding with many chapters so more people could join. Alaina believes the worst thing you can do is nothing. Through LWFLW, funds have been raised to hire two hundred teachers, and the movement continues to grow with strong momentum.
SPEAKOUT!
Kelsy Eniwari describes her journey to Eniwari, a remote village in Nigeria. Getting there requires a flight, a bus, and a boat, and her reflections highlight stark contrasts with Canada where desks crumble, pencils are scarce, and heavy rains flood classrooms, limiting access. Yet the students are bright and eager to learn; in a math class she observed the quadratic equation being taught, showing that learners in this village study the same topics as their peers in Canada. The local teacher was excellent, and the community’s spirit shows that education can bring hope. The school under construction represents a lifeline for many children, offering a path out of hardship. She hopes that every child who attends will graduate and pursue further study.
BREAKOUTER!
James Valitchka, twelve, is an author with nine published books. His first work, Superheroes Don’t Have Dads, came out when he was eight. He recalls facing bullying because he did not have a father, with his mother at his side at every game. He later chose to transform those experiences into writing after his mother encouraged him to read and showed him that heroes can emerge without a Dad. The response to his first book was remarkable, and today James leads conferences and works as a motivational speaker.
B! FACTS
Literacy challenges are closely tied to poverty, and many children leave school without full literacy as a result. People who struggle with reading and writing often earn about two thirds of what others do in adulthood. Around half of people find it hard to work well with words and numbers. Approximately 22 percent lack reliable reading levels. And roughly ten million people operate at marginal literacy levels, all within Canada.
All this is happening right here in Canada.
You too can Break Out. For details on how to participate, consult Break Out program resources and official materials, with attribution to CBC Breakout.