It might be planting trees, providing computer training or educating neighborhoods about sanitation. Whatever their chosen endeavor, sponsored youth around the world are putting Children International’s Youth Empowerment Fund to good use by bettering the communities around them.
Teens Rocío García, Jiyaul Piyada, Lara Villanueva and Charday are certainly no exception. These four outstanding youth were chosen to represent Children International at the 5th Annual Youth Assembly Conference at the United Nations on August 11-13 for International Youth Day. They were selected because of their environmental and educational contributions to their communities, which tied in to the event’s theme, "Youth and Climate Change: Time for Action."
At our agencies around the world, sponsored youth elect peer representatives to serve on their agency’s youth councils, which work to better their communities. Children International allots each agency $20,000 annually for their youth councils. With support and guidance from our agency staff, sponsored youth choose how their agency’s Youth Empowerment Fund is spent.
“It is an opportunity of a lifetime for us to learn how to plan out an activity for the betterment of others,” notes Jiyaul from India. “We always put this money to good use.”
Last year, the youth from Jiyaul’s agency planted trees and held an environmental awareness rally, among other activities. They educated others about climate change and other important topics. This year, youth in his agency plan to promote better health through exercise classes, improve housing and sanitation, encourage youth to stay in school by distributing needed textbooks, offer vocational training, and much more.
Many of the projects youth choose to implement are helping to accomplish the United Nations Millennium Development Goals, aimed at eradicating extreme poverty and hunger, achieving universal primary education, ensuring environmental sustainability, and more.
Children International’s Youth Empowerment Funds and the projects they support are important explains Charday, who is from our United States program in Little Rock, Arkansas. “They provide youth with a real voice, an opportunity for active involvement, leadership opportunities and a chance to serve as agents of change,” she points out.
This year, youth in our Tabaco, Philippines, agency, where Lara is from, have chosen nine different projects to implement with their Youth Empowerment Fund, including computer training and a youth conference on drug prevention.
Not only do these activities better the communities, they show youth what they are capable of achieving with a little hard work. “I realize that even as a youth, I can already achieve something and contribute positive change in my community,” Lara says.
In the Dominican Republic, where Rocío lives, youth are using their Youth Empowerment Fund to further a number of causes, including preventing child abuse, donating beds to storm victims, holding a cultural fair, and others.
While the projects sponsored youth choose to implement vary from agency to agency, they share one fundamental goal: to |
Rain didn’t stop sponsored youth from making
their neighborhoods a little more green. |
effect positive change. When youth use their skills and time to better the communities around them, they demonstrate their commitment to moving beyond poverty toward a better life. With effort and determination, they begin to realize that anything is possible.
Do you like this story?
Forward to a friend | Link to Us
|