Call for Youth to Take Action on Child Poverty

13 Year Old UNICEF Ambassador Calls on Youth Everywhere to Take Action on Child Poverty

Toronto, Ontario – 13 year old Bilaal Rajan, a UNICEF Youth Ambassador, best-selling author, fundraiser and social activist, has completed his 2010 campaign of living life barefoot to help raise awareness of child poverty in the developing world.

June 1st was International Children’s Day, and to celebrate the occasion, Rajan participated in an annual event he launched last year called the Barefoot Challenge.

“I’ve visited countries in Africa and met with hundreds of children who walk miles every day barefoot to fetch water, work on their farm lands, or go to school,” says Rajan. “It made me think of what life would be like to live without something we take for granted.”

Since 2001, Rajan has been instrumental in raising millions of dollars for various causes. Five years ago, he was chosen as an official Youth Ambassador for UNICEF Canada. Two years ago, he wrote a best-selling book, Making Change: Tips from an Underage Overachiever, which discusses how youth can become active in their communities and make a difference.

In 2009, thousands of people from all over the world kicked off their shoes and participated in the Barefoot Challenge. The same happened this year in 2010. “There was an incredible amount of support from students throughout the world,” says Rajan. “I received an email today from a teacher all the way from Brunei Darussalam, whose entire class went barefoot for the day.”

In February this year, Rajan also promised to have his head shaved on behalf of the school that raised the most funds for the earthquake relief efforts in Haiti. His own school, Lakefield College School, took that goal to heart and accomplished it. The head shaving took place on June 1st at the school. “Besides going without shoes, I’m going without hair as well,” Rajan jokes.

“I received some strange looks on people’s face,” says Rajan. “But when people asked why I didn’t have shoes, I reminded them that millions of children throughout the world didn’t either.”

For more information and photos of the event, visit www.makingchangenow.com/mediacontent.php.

ENDS