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Meet the Founder
Hi there!
My name is Julia. I'm 17 years old and a high school student living in Toronto, Canada. My story begins two summers ago, when I travelled to Durban, South Africa for an international debate tournament. I didn't know it then, but those two weeks would change my life.
The organizers took us to a museum near one of the poorest townships in the district. For the first time in my life, I saw a sea of broken houses. I saw thousands and thousands of collapsing containers, desperately held together by cardboard and metal. As I left the bus, I remember seeing a little boy sitting on the concrete, tearing up the pieces of a book and folding them into paper boats. I wasn’t surprised—after all, 8 in 10 South African children struggle to read even after fourth grade—but it hurt me to think that he might never be able to enjoy the words on those pages and the stories they tell.
After returning to Toronto, I was left wondering about the difference between privilege and ignorance. So often than not, we stop seeing the human in others when we can no longer relate to their circumstances. Poverty, lack of education, opportunity deficit—these are all systemic issues that we strongly agree need to be solved, but rarely do we ever take the step to solve them. This wasn’t a critique of privilege itself, but a realization: while privilege is circumstantial, ignorance is a choice.
When I started Learning Lights, I made the decision that I would dedicate the rest of my life to uplifting children, families, and communities through education. I want youth in Canada to understand the importance of advocating for the lives of other youth less privileged than they are. I chose to do what I knew was right—even if I had to do it scared, even if I had to do it alone. If you are still reading, I hope you, too, can join me on this journey.
Our current project is set to donate 5000 books to Nombuso Secondary School in Durban, South Africa, to build a library for 1600 students. However, shipping costs are sky-high and we are still far from the goal. Your support can help bridge this gap. Together, we can give these students more than books—but a future where their potential isn’t limited by circumstance.
One book, one student, one community at a time.
Most sincerely,
Julia Li
