Ana Dodson and Ashley Shuyler both started nonprofits at age 11. The Coloradans joined other youth activists Friday at the Oxford Hotel for an online video conversation with “Three Cups of Tea” author Greg Mortenson to promote the Journey of Hope concert Sunday at Red Rocks Amphitheatre.
Dodson, now 17, was born in Peru and adopted as a baby. A visit to her birthplace in Cuzco moved her to create Peruvian Hearts.
Shuyler’s family trip to Tanzania — where, at the time, only 5 percent of girls went to school — inspired her to work for girls’ education. Now 24 and a Harvard graduate, she started AfricAid in 2001 and has raised $700,000 to support African girls’ education.
Mortenson, whose best-selling memoir of getting lost mountain-climbing and finding his life’s work delivering education to rural Pakistan, is in Denver this weekend to launch an international call to youth service, host a concert and remind us to listen to our elders.
On Monday, he’ll visit some Denver schools.
Mortenson’s influence extends around the globe as he splits his time between his home and family in Bozeman, Mont., ongoing aid work in Central Asia, and consultations with American military leaders. His foundation, the Central Asia Institute, has built 78 schools in Pakistan and Afghanistan, and operates Pennies for Peace, sponsor of Sunday’s concert.
But on Friday, via computer, he was listening to kids talk about their own volunteer work — his daughter included.
“Hi, Dad,” said 13-year-old Amira Mortenson, dashing into the meeting dressed in jeans, a pale-blue down vest and silver sneakers. She possesses the same grin and seemingly ego-free manner as her father, confessing that it’s hard to balance school with “ambassadoring.”
They both gave their full attention to Garrett and Kyle Weiss, the teenage founders of FUNDaFIELD who have built five soccer fields in Africa, and Zach Bonner, 12, who started the Little Red Wagon Foundation and has walked 1,225 miles to raise money for homeless youths.
“We’re not really normal teenagers,” said Dodson, getting a laugh from all of them. “I’ll go to the mall and my friends are like, ‘I need that shirt,’ and I’m like, ‘No, you don’t.’ Giving back is something that gives us all the greatest pleasure in life; it’s why I get up in the morning.”
Kristen Browning-Blas: 303-954-1440 or kbrowning@denverpost.com
