The loss of Joe Opatowski our mentor, brother, friend and colleague is one of the greatest losses that Free The Children and Leaders Today have ever had to face. We have lost an amazing World Leader. Having said this, we must work together and keep Joe alive both through our everyday actions as well as working together and fulfilling Joe’s Dream. The goal of Free The Children and Leaders Today is to keep Joe’s legacy alive through a scholarship fund and a school building project.

The Scholarship fund will enable youth who would not otherwise be able to participate in the Leaders Today annual Take Action Academy and their International Volunteer trips. These programs were very important to Joe as they equip youth with the tools they require to be the leaders of today. In order to realize this, our plan is to raise $250,000 by the summer of 2006.

Education was also very important to Joe and therefore the scholarship fund will be complemented by a school building project in the Masai region in Kenya. This area is home to the indigenous Masai people The Kenya School of the Savannah is located on the edge of the Masai Mara, Africa’s richest wildlife reserve. The Masai Mara is home to the Big Five: elephant, rhino, lion, buffalo and leopard, among other diverse fauna and flora. The Masai Mara is also home to the world’s greatest migration of zebra and wildebeest, with millions of wild animals crossing from the Tanzanian Serengeti to the Kenyan Mara and back between June and October.

Free The Children and Leaders Today chose this location for Joe’s school to be built because we have an established centre in the region and knowledgeable staff members to ensure the sustainability of this project. Our dream is to create a community centre that will serve as a school for both youth and women. We hope that the infrastructure will also include a library which will be accessible to the entire community.

Free The Children and Leaders Today, like Joe, believe that education plays a large role in solving the problems that exist in the World today. We hope that you will help us to realize Joe’s dream.