I’m Marie Senatus, founder of Union des Jeunes.

I started this organization because I believe a child's future should never be determined by what their parents can afford. Every child deserves the chance to learn, dream, and succeed. Giving back to the community that raised me isn't charity; it's a responsibility.

In Torbeck, too many parents face an impossible choice. They work hard, believe in education, and want the best for their children. Yet when the new school year begins, many cannot afford the basics: a backpack, notebooks, pencils, or pens.

The result is heartbreaking. Children arrive at school embarrassed, unprepared, and already at a disadvantage, not because they lack intelligence or ambition, but because they lack the tools to learn.

We've seen this before.

In 2021, when violence and instability forced schools in our community to close for months, Union des Jeunes refused to let education stop. With volunteers, teachers, and local families, we created temporary classrooms so children could keep learning when the world around them had fallen apart.

Those classrooms were simple. They didn't have everything students deserved. But they gave children something even more important: hope, stability, and the chance to keep believing in their future.

Today, those same children need us again.

Our mission is to equip 150 students with everything they need to begin the school year with confidence; a backpack filled with notebooks, pencils, pens, rulers, folders, and other essential school supplies.

A backpack is more than a bag.

It means a child can walk into class with confidence instead of shame. It means they can focus on learning instead of worrying about what they don't have. It tells them their education matters, and that someone believes in them.

The total cost of this project is $5,000. Our GoFundMe campaign begins with a goal of $2,000 to build momentum, but we won't stop until we've raised enough to serve all 150 students.

Your donation will help us:

* Purchase backpacks and school supplies.

* Assemble 150 complete school kits.

* Transport the supplies to Torbeck.

* Distribute them before the first day of school.

Every gift creates immediate impact.

* $25 equips one child with a complete school supply kit.

* $50 prepares two students.

* $100 helps four children start school ready to learn.

No donation is too small. Every contribution moves another child one step closer to a better future.

Union des Jeunes is entirely volunteer-led. Every dollar entrusted to us is used with care, and throughout this campaign we'll share updates, photos, and the results of the distribution so you can see exactly how your generosity changes lives.

Education changes families. It changes communities. It changes generations.

Sometimes that change begins with something as simple as a backpack.

If you're able, please make a donation today. If you can't give, sharing this campaign with your friends and family is another powerful way to help.

Together, we can ensure that 150 children walk into school this year prepared, confident, and reminded that they are not alone.

On behalf of every child, parent, and volunteer at Union des Jeunes, thank you for believing that every child deserves the opportunity to succeed.