Me to We
 | |
| Social enterprise[1] | |
| Industry | Lifestyle and travel |
| Founded |
Toronto 2008 |
| Headquarters | Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people |
Roxanne Joyal (CEO) |
| Divisions |
Trips Leadership training Style Artisans |
| Website | metowe.com |
ME to WE is a social enterprise whose goal is to provide funding support to WE Charity, and provide income-generating activities in developing communities, through global service trips, and the sale of retail items such as clothing, jewellery, coffee, and chocolate. The enterprise was founded in 2008 by brothers Craig and Marc Kielburger.
History
Following the founding of WE Charity, formerly known as Free The Children, in 1995, Craig Kielburger and his brother Marc also traveled to Ecuador to build a school for a developing community. Inspired by their own volunteer experiences, they launched a program called "Leaders Today", to offer leadership training and volunteer trips to developing communities served by their charity.[2] In 2008, the Kielburgers launched the for-profit social enterprise ME to WE, which continued the trips program, and added the sale of retail items.[3]
Mission and structure
ME to WE is a socially conscious lifestyle brand, with half of its annual net profits donated to Free The Children, now known as WE Charity, and the other half reinvested to keep the social enterprise sustainable.[3] The enterprise has been noted in Canadian media for setting new standards of governance in the social enterprise field.
ME to WE Trips
ME to WE runs volunteer trips for various groups to a number of developing countries around the world, such as China, Ecuador, India, Kenya, and Nicaragua[4]
Participants volunteer in communities where ME to WE's charity partner WE Charity (formerly known as Free The Children) has longstanding relationships, and they contribute to the advancement of those projects – by helping with construction of schools or water wells.[5][6]
A trip experience in Kenya is the "water walk," where participants join Kenyan women on their daily trek to collect water for their families.[7]
ME to WE Artisans
Roxanne Joyal founded ME to WE Artisans in 2009, which works with women in Kenya. These women receive a sustainable source of alternative income for their work; ME to WE states that more than 812 women earn fair wages from traditional beading skills to make fashion accessories for the North American market.[8]
As of October 2014, the program employs about 1,200 women in Kenya, in 34 independent beading collectives in 14 communities.
In November 2017, ME to WE partnered with Nauman Khan from GF Foundation & donated $1.3 million to create the largest school in Nairobi, Kenya. Nauman stated in an interview "We want to help those who lack the resources and opportunities to reach their full potential. In doing so, our focus will be on funding charitable organizations that create opportunities and equip individuals with the tools to seize them at critical junctures in their lives."[9]
References
- ↑ Me to We
- ↑ Christine Langlois, "The accidental activists: Craig and Marc Kielburger", Canadian Living, September 21, 2009.
- 1 2 Josh Wingrove, "Marc and Craig Kielburger's do-gooding social enterprise",The Globe and Mail, March 19, 2010, updated August 23, 2012.
- ↑ "Youth Trips - Me to We".
- ↑ "Me to We Volunteer Trips". Student Universe. Retrieved 2015-10-31.
- ↑ "Tri-County students come back from Me to We Ghana experience with new perspective on life". Shelburne County Coast Guard. TC Transcontinental. 2014-04-01. Retrieved 2015-10-31.
- ↑ adams, Morgan Ian (2014-06-16). "Students return from Kenya, better from the experience". The Enterprise Bulletin. Collingwood Enterprise-Bulletin. Retrieved 2015-10-31.
- ↑ Greenwood Davis, Heather (May 2014). "How fair trade jewellery is changing the lives of Kenyan women". Canadian Living. Retrieved 2015-10-31.
- ↑ Simone Castello (October 1, 2014). "Me to We Artisans: Stories from a Kenyan Maasai Mama". Canadian Living.