The teen behind the June 1 Youth Rally Against Budget Cuts started a non-profit four years ago. Abdeslam Boubia is a Grade 12 Lord Byng student who launched Rising Above Poverty when he was in Grade 9.

The idea was born after a visit to his homeland of Algeria. “I saw the effects that poverty was having on youth over there and the lack of education and resources they had, so I got a bunch of friends and we started collecting sports equipment to send over there every time I went,” he said. “It kind of snowballed.”

The non-profit’s goal is to create a basic standard of living for orphans and youth in Third World countries. It’s raised more than $3,500 since its inception.

Boubia gets help from three close friends when necessary–Celina Vincent from Fraser Heights secondary in Surrey, Brian Hui and Rachel Ha from Eric Hamber and Quinn Mell-Cobb from Lord Byng. They visit schools to talk to students about leadership and the importance of taking action on social justice. “We try to educate kids about the ways they can make change and the ways they can make their voices heard,” he said.

The group has also hooked up with a woman behind an organization called Hearts in Action. She has provided them with an online platform that enables them to connect with youth around the world for discussions, debates and forums on subjects including AIDS, women’s rights and poverty.

Boubia immigrated to Vancouver with his family in 1999. Although he graduates in a few weeks, he’s concerned about public education, especially since he has three younger brothers–one in Grade 11, another in Grade 2 and the youngest only three months old. “These cuts have been happening since 2000 and they’re just getting worse and worse every year,” he said.

The Youth Rally Against Budget Cuts takes place from 4 to 7 p.m. June 1 at the Vancouver Art Gallery. Boubia expects more than 600 students to show up along with parents and trustees.

“We’re trying to get the Liberals to see the damage they are doing in hopes of them giving us funding back,” Boubia said. “We also want the media to show the images of the youth movement that is taking place so that we can shake some sense into the Liberals.”

Demonstrators are being asked to wear blue, which represents unity and team work in many cultures around the world, according to Boubia. He thinks the rally will send a message to the provincial government.

“I’m going to be honest, we may not get our money back for education but it will scare the hell out of Gordon Campbell and [education minister] Margaret MacDiarmid and we’ll show them that once we rally together and make our voice heard, we’re a voice to be reckoned with,” he said.

Boubia plans to take a year off after high school to travel and work in Africa, including Algeria, Uganda and Rwanda, before returning to study political science and journalism at Langara College.