GLOBAL ACTION WEEK 2009

1. GLOBAL ACTION WEEK 2009 April 20 - 26, 2009

2. Did you know that … Almost 1 billion people in the world (21%) are still living on less than1 per day. AND that Half of the world’s total population, or 3 billion people, survive on less than $ 2 per day.

3. Did you know that … it means that half of the world’s population is very poor, or poor. There are over 6 and a half billion people in the world.

4. Did you know that … poverty can be found everywhere, but there are more poor people in parts of Africa, parts of Asia and in parts of Latin America and the Caribbean.

5. Did you know that … 75 million children in the world don’t go to school becausethey can’t.

6. Did you know that … some children can’t go to school because they have to work.

7. Did you know that … some children can’t go to school because they don’t have the money to buy school supplies or school uniforms.

8. Did you know that … some children don’t go to school because they have to stay at home to take care of younger brothers and sisters.

9. Did you know that … some children, especially young girls, are kept out of school to tend to the family chores.

10. Did you know that … some children can’t live in their home, but have to live in refugee camps because there is a war goingon in their country.

11. Did you know that … children who don’t have a good education can stay poor for the rest of their life.

12. Did you know that … Basma is a 10 year-old girl who lives in Cairo, Egypt. Basma loves to go to school, but she can only go on Fridays. Basma works in a pottery workshop the other six days of the week.

13. Did you know that … when Basma goes to school on Fridays, she loves to learn.

15. Did you know that … When Carla was 7 she had to leave school to go to work. Carla had to work by selling necklaces and candy in the streets of El Alto in Bolivia. Carla had to work until 4 or 5 o’clock in the morning.

16. Did you know that … since Carla is now back in school she’s made many new friends.

18. Did you know that … Srinivas is a 12-year-old boy who lives in a fishing village in India. When Srinivas was in grade 5, he had to leave school to help his father who is a fisherman. Srinivas has many brothers and sisters and they need the money to buy food and clothes.

19. Did you know that … Srinivas’ favourite time of day at school was recess. Srinivas would like to go back to school and become a teacher.

20. Did you know that … many students in India learn by sitting on mats on the floor.

21. Did you know that … At the age of 17, Genevieve enrolled in grade 5 in Papua New Guinea. Genevieve was never able to go to school when she was young because of war in her country. Genevieve spent 10 years hiding from the dangers of war in the mountains and rainforest.

22. Did you know that … Genevieve finally has many friends at school and loves to read and play.

23. BUT did you know that … Genevieve is having difficulty at school because she was away for so long.

25. Did you know that … Salama is 8 years old and lives in Kenya. Salama’s family is very poor and she will have to leave school to help her mother sell firewood and charcoal at the market.

26. Did you know that … Salama, like many students in Africa, was taught to walk with a bundle on her head at the age of 6. This is something students learn to do in grade one, because they must collect firewood for the school.

27. Did you know that … In Canada, many Innu children who live in Natuashish, Labrador, do not attend school.

28. Did you know that … schools around the world can be different from ours.

29. BUT did you know that … schools around the world can also be similar to ours.

30. Did you know that … Some children have difficulty getting to school.

31. Did you know that … some classrooms around the world can be very different from ours.

34. BUT did you know that … many classrooms around the world can also be similar to ours.

36. Did you know that … all children around the world like to have fun. Just like you, they like to play and laugh.

38. Did you know that … just like you, children around the world like to ride their bikes, but many of them don’t have bikes to ride.

39. AND did you know that … just like you, they can also fall off their bikes and scrape their knees.

40. Did you know that … just like you, students around the world like to do arts and crafts at school.

41. Did you know that … just like your school, many schools around the world like to put on school plays and music and dance performances for their parents.

42. Did you know that … 191 countries made 8 promises to the world in 2000.

43. Did you know that … One of those promises was to end poverty everywhere.

44. Did you know that … Another promise was to make sure that every child in the world could go to school.

45. Did you know that … You can help remind all the countries that made the promise, to keep their promise.

46. WHAT CAN I DO? Take part in Global Action Week and do what you can for literacy!

47. Did you know that … You can be part of a big campaign reminding everyone to keep their promises. April 20 - 26, 2009

48. TOGETHER we can do this … because even though children around the world may seem different, they are also very much like you.