education

School and Health Kits Frequently Asked Questions

There are two ways you can become involved in our School and Health Kits Campaign.
The preferable way is to raise monetary donations (cash, cheque or credit card payments) and send them to Free The Children’s international office. These funds will be used to purchase basic school and health supplies in the developing countries themselves.
Experience and research have both shown that some developing countries do not permit shipping any supplies due to strict customs regulations. In addition, through sending donations directly to developing countries, you will be helping to stimulated local economies.

The alternative way is to pre-assemble the kits yourself, and send them to Free The Children, and we will, in turn, arrange for them to be shipped to where they are needed.

» What are the objectives of the School and Health Kits Campaign?
» What’s in a school kit?
» What’s in a health kit?
» What impact do the kits make in a child’s life?
» How are the kits transported?
» Who helps to distribute the school and health kits?
» Where can I send the school and health kits?
» What are the general requirements for shipping the school and health kits?
» Can I approach carrier companies to reduce the cost of shipping the kits?
» Where should I send donations from my fundraising efforts? How do I proceed?
» Who should I contact if I want to receive more information on the School and Health Kits Campaign?

What are the objectives of the School and Health Kits Campaign? The objectives of the School and Health Kits Campaign are: to promote education for all children by helping disadvantaged and marginalized children attend school, provide youth with the opportunity to participate in finding solutions to problems which affect them and their peers, and develop a greater appreciation in youth of the importance of acting as the responsible citizens of a global community. [top]

What’s in a school kit?

We include all of the basics a child needs to complete a year or more in primary school. Children receiving the kits use them wisely, as these are all items that are expensive and hard to find in areas we are building schools. The kits include:

» 2-3 spiral notebooks, approximately 75 pages each, 8 x 11” » 4-6 unsharpened pencils with erasers » 1 small pencil sharpener » 1 metric ruler » 1 box of 12-16 crayons or coloured pencils » 12 sheets coloured paper » 1 pair of safety scissors » 1 ball (tennis ball size, not overly large) » 1 book bag (either cloth or plastic) [top]

What’s in a health kit?

The health kits include all of the basics a child needs to maintain good hygiene. Children receiving the kits use them wisely, as these are all items that are expensive and hard to find in areas we are building schools. The kits include:

» 1 family sized tube of toothpaste
» 1 hand towel
» 1 wash cloth
» 1 toothbrush
» 1 bar of soap
» 1 small box of Band-Aids
» 1 comb or brush
» 1 pair of nail clippers
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What impact do the kits make in a child’s life?

The United Nation Children’s Fund (UNICEF) has shown that just three years of basic education makes a significant difference in family planning, health care knowledge and in a family's income. In many countries throughout the world, if a child appears at the school's doorstep without basic educational supplies, he or she is turned away. Sadly, this forces him or her into a life of illiteracy and perpetuates the cycle of poverty. Education has been found to have the greatest impact on health indicators, including the rates of infant mortality, life expectancy at birth and total fertility. Thus, a school or health kit can make a positive difference and forever change the life of a child!
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How are the kits transported? Both the school and health kits are shipped from Toronto, Canada, to countries around the world via Airline Ambassadors and various shipping companies. In addition, trusted individuals and organizations often transport the kits while on personal or business trips. Upon arriving at the desired country, the kits are distributed by local Free The Children partners. [top]

Who helps to distribute the school and health kits?

Free The Children maintains partnerships with people and organizations around the world who work directly with the children. These Free The Children partners help to distribute the school and health kits, and are required to send Free The Children photographs of the children receiving these kits.
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Where can I send the school and health kits?

You can send your school and health kits to our international youth projects coordinator, at our Toronto, Canada headquarters:

Free The Children
233 Carlton Street
Toronto, Ontario
M5A 2L2
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What are the general requirements for shipping the school and health kits? Free The Children is currently seeking a courier within North America to donate the shipping costs of the kits sent from schools and homes like yours to our central location in Toronto so we can arrange to have them sent together. Until this is finalized, it is the responsibility of the donor to raise sufficient funds for the shipment to Toronto. Free The Children’s charitable status in Canada and the United States enable the health and school kits to pass through customs at the Canada/US border without having to pay customs fees. [top]

After you have packed the kits into boxes, please follow these instructions:

If you are shipping from the United States, you should clearly write “USA Charity Number 501 (C) (3)16-1533544” on the outside of each box containing kits. Boxes sent from Canada should have “Canada Charity Number 88657 8095 RR0001”clearly marked on the outside.

Please complete the School and Health Inventory Form and securely glue or tape it to the outside of each box. Boxes containing school and health kits shipped from both the USA and Canada should be valued at no more than $10 US for customs purposes. In addition, we strongly recommend and ask that you send Free The Children an inventory for each of these boxes.

If you are planning to send monetary donations (cheque or cash) with the school and health kits you have assembled, visit our donations page.
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Can I approach carrier companies to reduce the cost of shipping the kits? We encourage donors to approach carriers such as UPS, Federal Express or their local post office when making a one-time donation. You should explain to them all the hard work and effort that you and your group have put into assembling the kits, and how they will make a difference in the lives of children all over the world. [top]

Where should I send donations from my fundraising efforts? How do I proceed?

Thank you for making a lasting difference in the lives of children! Visit our Education Page for all the details on how to send in the money from your fundraising programs.
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Who should I contact if I want to receive more information on the School and Health Kits Campaign?

If you have any questions or concerns in regards to the School and Health Kits Campaign, please do not hesitate to contact the International Projects Coordinator at the following:

E-mail: projects@freethechildren.com
Telephone: 1.416.925.5894
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