A powerful stimulus for personal growth
Training projects for young people make a real difference, as Hannelore found out for herself in Peru. She takes stock after four years.
A powerful stimulus for personal growth
Do our training projects for young people in faraway countries actually make a difference? According to Hannelore Colpaert, yes, they absolutely do. She found that out for herself in Peru, where she worked with our partner Solid to set up an agricultural training course for young people four years ago. This year she went back to visit the Peruvian countryside – and was pleasantly surprised by the results. "It was wonderful to see, I was really impressed."
Training for a better life
Hannelore spent two years volunteering for the non-profit organisation Solid in Ayacucho, a mountainous area in southern Peru, helping to lay the foundations for the Jovem training project. This project offers a three-year agricultural training course for enterprising young people with the goal of setting up their own business. The young farmers not only improve their own lives, but also use their talents to benefit their community. So, what do they think of it? A future in the countryside is worth the effort again.
Young people learn to be enterprising
Hannelore went back in January to evaluate the impact of the project. "It made a real impression on me. I saw how the young people have developed in terms of their self-esteem and their entrepreneurial skills." And that self-esteem is demonstrated by a whole range of initiatives. "Some young people now have their own agricultural business. They are using the profit they make to pay for their university studies. That's how they are creating opportunities for themselves." And there is more than just individual progress: "They get their families involved in the enterprise, so they are building truly family businesses."
If you also believe that training can have a huge impact, then please donate to support our projects. You can donate here.
