When I left Africa on my last trip, I asked a question to the teachers and parents at the school: “what should I bring when I return?”

They replied, without hesitation: “bring friends.” They want to meet you, to know the invisible people who somehow helped to rebuild a place that represents, for many of them, the cornerstone of their community. And while I’d love for all of you to join me us on our upcoming trip, I know for some of you that’s just not possible.

So I want to bring you in the way I’m able - on film. I want them to hear - from you - about who you are, what you’d like to know about them, and why you believe their stories matter. We plan to combine all of your responses to create a movie for the kids - some of whom may have never seen a movie before, and certainly not one just for them. Check out George’s picture to the right for some indication of just how interested the kids are in movies. You can see his makeshift video camera fashioned from pencaps, paper and rubberbands.

Already, we’ve had participants submit videos from London to Texas, but your voice is missing - and the kids would love to hear from you. To inspire you, the little redhead has again busted out her video camera to show you how easy it is.

As she mentions, all you need to do in your video is:

1) Introduce yourself & share something interesting about your life.
2) Ask the kids, teachers or parents at the school a question.
3) Tell them why you think their story matters.

Once your short clip is complete, all you need to do is add your video to the YouTube group at http://www.youtube.com/group/storiesmatter. That’s it.

So we have an opportunity to edit before we leave for Tanzania, your submissions are due by Monday, June 2 Sunday, June 15th. If you can’t get it to me by that date, just let me know when you can submit yours. If you have a question, or need any help with your video, email me at stacey@epicchange.org or call me directly at 415.630.0631. In addition, if there’s simply no way I’ll convince you to get on video, do this: email me at stacey@epicchange.org with a photo of yourself that includes your personal message to the kids.

You can’t imagine what their faces will look like when you remind them of their significance, through your eyes and in your voice. And I’ll make sure you get to see their reactions, all the way from Africa, right here on the blog.