My name is youth and I'm unstoppable
International Youth Day is celebrated every 12 of August around the world to mainstream young peoples’ voices, actions and initiatives, as well as their meaningful, universal and equitable engagement.
Young people must feel empowered
Young people can be changemakers in their communities.
For 21-year-old Jyotsna, her journey from an early married girl to a changemaker defied poverty, abuse, and lack of education and nutrition.
Young people must feel free
Young people should be treated with respect while given enough freedom to express and understand themselves.
For 15 year old Akili from Tanzania, the road to independence came with a lot of hurdles. She dropped out of school, was overloaded with house chores, trafficked, sexually abused, and finally exploited without pay as a child domestic worker. After she was identified and referred to our partner Kiwohede, Akili could finally develop her skills and become independent.
Young people deserve a bright future
The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in severe economic and social impacts around the world. Young people are particularly vulnerable to the disruptions the pandemic has caused.
Staying at home is dangerous for Emelda: when she goes home, she will get mutilated. Vulnerable children, like Emelda, are at risk worldwide due to the corona crisis. They cannot go to school and therefore miss their safe place.
Young people deserve quality education
Youth can be a positive force for development when provided with the knowledge and opportunities they need to thrive.
Priya was married at the age of 15 to a 21- year old boy from the same village.
“My parents wanted me to get married early”, said Priya. “I had to discontinue my education after marriage. I never thought I would continue my studies again”, she added.
Young people deserve to be treated equally
Equality is not always about treating everyone the same – it is about treating people in such a way that the outcome for each person can be the same. This means putting things in place to support people to achieve similar outcomes.
In the village of Mainahalli near Koppal, India, a large portion of its communities belong to the lower caste system. Some members of these communities are Devadasis. These are women and girls who engage in sex work as their livelihood, following an age old tradition.
Vandana aims to change her community's traditions that have negatively affected many girls.