We support young people to learn and develop new skills so that they can change their lives and embrace new opportunities. When we see that they are changing the lives of others too, we know that these vital skills such as communication or problem solving will have a lasting effect and really make a difference to a family.
On International Day of Families we want to celebrate some of these amazing change-makers who are not only making an impact on their lives, but on their family lives too. From taking an active role in the family business and enriching it with their new knowledge, to having the desire to get their own business off the ground to support their families financially.
Lending a helping hand
Tamara Díaz, a 16 year-old student from Nicaragua started taking part in their school business and soon she was chosen to be the team leader. Tamara likes to keep challenging herself and thanks to the School Enterprise Challenge she grew in confidence and developed new talents.
Her ambition is to open her own piñata business to help pay towards her university studies, but for now Tamara is helping in her family business. She is using her new skills to help her mother with her food business. She supports her family to improve their business through guiding them in operational planning, advising them what needs to be done, when, where or who will do it.
Going the extra mile
The urge to help others is a strong theme among these young entrepreneurs. These students not only want to work towards a better future for themselves, but they also want to do it for the people around them. María Sol Mendez Salinas, a 17 year old Paraguayan student, shares how her journey has shaped her and allowed her to give back.
“I am deeply proud that, through this experience, we were able to move forward, providing our families with the daily sustenance that is achieved with great sacrifice, at such a difficult time when perhaps a member of the family was left without a job, or was unable to return to it because they had to protect their health”
The skills that the students acquire can be life changing and they themselves are aware of how much they progress little by little and how these experiences mark a before and after in their lives. “School Enterprise Challenge enables me to explore new ideas that will help me grow into a responsible adult capable of supporting my family through the skills I have acquired during the journey”, says Confidence Maduka, a 11 year old student from Nigeria.
These stories prove the demand for, and the value of these young people growing their consciousness and their confidence in how they can thrive and contribute to making the world a better place for all.
