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Free the Children began with a story one boy could never forget. Today, our history is filled with a collection of unforgettable stories and memories that continue to inspire young people around the world.
 

the story behind FTC.

“Battled Child Labour, Boy, 12, Murdered.” No one knew that this short, but powerful headline would catch the eye of 12-year-old Craig Kielburger one April morning in 1995. More so, no one knew that it would spark an entire social movement.
Watch a clip of “It Takes a Child”, the story of Craig Kielburger and Free The Children.

Free The Children was founded by 12-year-old Craig Kielburger in 1995 when he gathered 11 school friends to begin fighting child labour. Today, Free The Children is the world's largest network of children helping children through education, with more than one million young people involved in our programs in 45 countries.

A morning to remember

As 12-year-old Craig flipped through the Toronto Star in search for comics, he was struck by a story. A raw, but courageous story of a boy his age named Iqbal. Iqbal Masih was born in South Asia and sold into slavery at the age of four. In his short life, he had spent six years chained to a carpet-weaving loom. Iqbal captured the world's attention by speaking out for children's rights.





A dream is sparked

Eventually Iqbal's wide media coverage caught the attention of those who wished to silence him. At 12 Iqbal lost his life defending the rights of children. What Craig learned from Iqbal's story was that the bravest voice can live in the smallest body. He also knew he had to help.







A good idea catches on

Craig gathered together a small group of his Grade 7 classmates from his Thornhill, Ontario, school and Free The Children was born. Free the children from poverty. Free the children from exploitation. Free the children from the notion that they are powerless to affect change. These were the messages that fuelled Craig's mission. The idea was a good one. And it caught on. Today, Free the Children is the world's largest network of children helping children through education, with more than one million youth involved in our innovative education and development programs in 45 countries.


Learn more about Craig's story


Check out the It Takes A Child book here >
Check out the It Takes A Child DVD here >
Learn more about Craig's Story here >
See what Craig is up to now

Now more than ever, its easy to follow Craig and see how he's making the world a better place! With the help of popular social networks, just sign up, log in, and start changing the world!


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