My wife and I are currently driving in the middle of Nowhere, VA trying to stay awake long enough to get home. We spent this last week at Creation Music Festival in Pennsylvania with a team of 5 and 80,000 new friends.
One of the ways Project: AK-47 has chosen to raise capital to rescue and rehabilitate our child soldiers is through our merchandise program. These summer tours to music festivals have been an incredible platform to raise money for our projects, as well as create and rally advocates for the end of child soldiering. Creation Northeast was no exception.
With the best response to date, we had people lined up at our table for 4 sixteen hour days straight! We had over 2,000 people become advocates this last week by purchasing a set of child soldier dog tags! We had hundreds ask for more information on how they can help end child slavery in the world! Our team was consistently blown away by the hearts of people who, as soon as being informed about the epidemic of child soldiering, responded with immediate action.
One of the more memorable experiences we had as a team was meeting Jacob and Hannah. We were 2 days and 4,000 explanations (of what child soldiering is) into the week when they came to us. Jacob was 9, and his sister Hannah, 14. They had just seen our informative video play on the festival’s screens and showed up at our table in uncontrollable tears. Jacob didn’t stop crying for the next hour he spent with us. At the idea of kids their age being forced in to a life of slavery, they were instantly broken. We spent a good hour and a half talking and crying with them. They both have plans to visit us in Nashville to help us in our rescue and advocacy efforts.
It was an absolute gift to us to watch this week as peoples hearts connected with the plight of our kids and their need on the other side of the world. Thanks to all of our new friends in Pennsylvania! The way you guys opened your hearts to the marginalized kids of Southeast Asia and Latin America was significant. Thanks for encouraging us in the fight. Thanks for inspiring us in our vision. And most of all, thanks for giving your time, heart, and money to the the rescue. Stay in touch!
Hey guys. I was there. This was the first time I’d heard of Project AK47 and, more specifically, the extensive use of child soldiers in SE Asia (your movie is dynamic). I want to say thank-you for your efforts and for helping educate myself and so many others. I’m currently wearing the tags of Yex Seung. God bless your continued efforts. I’ll pray for the freedom of Yex Seung and many others.
Hey Kristen,
Thanks so much for staying in touch! We really appreciate you allowing these kids and the issues they’re facing to break your heart. Thank you also for your prayers for Yex Seung and the other soldiers who have yet to be rescued…that is huge. If you’d like to post your photos or tell a bit of your story on our brand new “Wear Their Reality” campaign page, it’s at http://projectak47.com/dogtags.
Hope to stay connected with you, Kristen.
Cheers!
I was at Creation Fest for the first time and the moment I saw your movie, I broke down in tears. My friends tried to get me to stop for almost an hour, but it was hopeless. I bugged them till they were ready to kill me about you and your cause, finally succeding in getting one of them to come with me to get dog tags.The second we came back, me raw from crying (again), the rest of our group marched off to the tent to get some. I never take the tags off. Kareef is always with me.
During Creation, everytime I saw your movie, I would cry just as hard as the first time, the reality of it striking me every time.
My last day at creation I realized I had 9 dollars in my pocket, just sitting there. I remember running from my campsite to your set-up, but they were ushering people out and had started to close the doors. The security guard told me I was too late, that it was closed for the day. In tears (yes, again) I told him I just needed to give someone some money.
He let me in.
I knew it wasn’t enough for another set of tags, but I handed over all I had. It takes only 7 dollars to make the difference between a child and a killer. Who could ever choose a killer?