I SENT THIS TO MY MP, SEND ONE TO YOURS TOO! :)
Dear Frank Valeriote,
Do you believe that the youth of today are the future of tomorrow? Surely that's obvious enough, but Harper government doesn't seem to agree.
"Fearless" is the word a fellow Katimavik housemate called me near completion of the program. Before that, I'd been picked on in school, hiding in the library from my peers and red-faced during presentations in front of the class. Saying that Katimavik changed my life would be an understatement. Katimavik changed my whole perspective, my way of interaction and cooperation with others, it gave me the resources to learn new ways of living and choose my own, and it gave me the confidence to do what no one has ever done before.
If you're not already aware, Katimavik is a government-funded program that allows youth 17-21 to take part in full-time volunteer work in 2 different communities, while living in a house with 10 other youth from across Canada.
My experience began in Chisasibi, northern Quebec and ended where I am now in Steinbach, Manitoba. I’ve returned to both communities and found a home now in three places and family all across Canada.
In Chisasibi, a northern Cree community, children living in poverty found a safe place in our home, held our hands before knowing our names and often called my name whenever I was in public Chisasibi. It didn't matter who we were- if we listened to what they had to say, they told us a lot-more than we sometimes could even understand. Katimavik volunteers were requested at every community event, and made a true impact in the community, even running the school library when the new school opened in January. I returned to this native Cree community after the program and my volunteer experience lead to teaching grades from grade 1 up to the Quebec Secondary 4. On the last day, an assembly was held by the school just for me, leaving me with tears of joy, knowing I was not only accepted, but appreciated. In Chisasibi, I experienced sweat lodges, a shake tent and volunteered for several community events. The first time I left, I didn’t cry because somehow I knew I would return and somehow my spirit found its way back a second time as a much more active and involved part of the community. I returned because I wanted to give back to this community that had given me so much self-discovery, confidence and peace of mind .
In Steinbach, I worked with people with mental disabilities, and may even return to work there again since I've returned to Winnipeg to live with my boyfriend who I lived with in the two weeks I billeted during Katimavik. He never did Katimavik, but knew a lot of "Katimavictims" on the off-the-grid community farm where he grew up so he knows all about it and has experienced much of the same lifestyle: making bread, living with people from across Canada and being frugal as well as resourceful.
Katimavik didn't just change the path of which I took in my life but it gave me the confidence to speak up and say what I think, the courage to do something no one had never done before and the knowledge to find my own way of living. Katimavik gave me the opportunity to be that person I always wanted to be. It introduced me to endless learning about culture, relationships, co-operative decisions and being an involved citizen in my country. So many youth do what they think they’re supposed to do, but we should be doing what we want to do, what we need to do to make ourselves better people and that’s what Katimavik makes us do.
Please don't let Katimavik slip away, please bring it back! Our country needs this program to go on. Katimavik has to live on, so make it a priority in parliament for youth of today and tomorrow.Yours truly,
Stacey Speers
-- Check out my Katimavik blog! www.staceyspeers.blogspot.com
