Hi, my name is Katy and this summer I will be participating in one of The Otesha Project’s five bike tours!

The Otesha Project (www.otesha.ca) is a charitable youth-run organization that aims to empower youth to create positive global and local change. Otesha, meaning “reason to dream” in Swahili, promotes water and energy conservation, local and organic food, reversing climate change, and fair trade products among other things.

 

I am in my second year at the University of Guelph studying Environmental Engineering.Through my university experience as well as my experience as a participant in the Canada World Youth volunteer exchange program to Bolivia and Saskatchewan, I have learned a great deal about the world, as well as environmental and social issues (although there is always so much more to learn!). As I learn about these issues I realize the huge impact every person has in affecting change. The more individuals change their daily actions and attitudes the more change we can achieve on a large scale. I am very excited to be contributing to this change, challenging myself as well as others, and promoting sustainability!

 

This summer I will be participating in the East Coast Tour, which begins in Halifax, Nova Scotia on July 1^st and ends in Moncton, New Brunswick two months later. I will be biking with a group of 15 other young people, giving engaging presentations and workshops to youth in local communities to empower and educate them about the impacts of their daily choices. The workshops and presentations link global and local issues, discuss how making changes to our daily routine, such as buying local food and conserving power have positive impacts, and show how anyone and everyone can contribute to change. On tour members live communally, sharing all responsibilities, eating local food, and encouraging creativity and diversity!

Everyday we all have the opportunity to have positive or negative impacts on the world through our daily choices. In order to create a sustainable future for this planet we need to be educated on the impacts of these choices and learn how we can change them. The Otesha bike tours both educate and encourage youth to become more environmentally and socially conscious as well as make changes in their everyday choices. I am excited to be a part of an organization that is working to create change in such a unique, and inspiring way!

 

All donations over $20.00 will receive a tax receipt electronically. All donations will go directly to cover the costs of the tour, not overhead or administrative costs.

 

Thank you  for visiting this page and supporting my Otesha bike tour. Your donation is greatly appreciated.