Hello, my name is Noelle Carder, I am 13 years old and my passion is helping those less fortunate than me. To date I have been limited to just local activities but with this trip and organization I can reach out around the world. I was introduced to the Me to We (Free the Children) foundation through my school and I realized very quickly that they and I shared the same passion. I have participated in several of their functions and I was selected by them to attend one of their youth volunteer trips that not just anyone can go on, known as "Amazon-Ecuador" (due to the watershed in the area contributing to the amazon river) for 2 weeks in July this summer.

All of your donations will go towards this trip which helps me and the Me to We foundation help those less fortunate than ourselves become more able to help themselves as a result of our labour, building on their water distribution and educational infrastructure. The experience of going on this trip will also help with my own education of just how difficult other cultures lives can be and I'm hoping it will help me develop a plan for my future while continuing my efforts to make a difference when ever and where ever I can.

Ecuadorian youth and women face undeserved consequences related to not being educated, primarily due to the amount of work that it takes, for mainly women and girls to gather suitable water that they can use for drinking, cooking, and cleansing themselves. This process takes all of their time on a daily basis not leaving them with any time to be educated as their work is so important to the community. While on this trip I will be going on water walks and installing new clean water systems that will allow them the time to attend the schoolswe are also helping to build.

For the kids who are fortunate enough to go to school in Ecuador they are often unable to hear their teachers because of the extreme rain that they often receive. This is a tragic occurrence that I will be helping with. The schools that I will be building during my 2 weeks there will be built with special soundproof walls and roofs so that going to school involves more learning rather than being distracted by the harsh rainfalls!

Clean water is a rare and valued thing in Ecuador. These people do not have the luxury of turning on a tap and having fresh and clean water. Their process of getting drinking water, water to cook with, and water to cleanse themselves with, includes a great distance of walking to a place that has water, filling their bucket/pot with the water, and walking the great distance back to their homes with their heavy buckets. For many, this is their schedule for all that they do for the day. As mentioned, I will be accompanying these people on their water walks and helping to build a new clean water system!

Please help me make this trip possible by donating money towards my trip fundraiser you won’t just be helping me go on this trip, more importantly you will be helping the people that live in Ecuador improve their lives! Any amount donated will be greatly appreciated by me and them.