Youth Development ‘Creativity and Diversity’
“Adolescence is a stage full of challenges and transitions. When considering the context of Thailand, we encounter a multitude of pressing issues, including alcohol and substance abuse, violence, threats on social media, economic and socio-cultural challenges exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic and emerging challenges related to climate change. All of these factors contribute to the vulnerability of young people and affect their self-development. We are witnessing many children and young people dropping out of school. This issue alone leads to a lack of opportunities for personal development. If we do not take serious action, these vulnerable youth will eventually become unskilled workforces and not likely to escape the cycle of poverty.”
This is the introduction given by Rattanathida Prawang, Technical Program Manager on youth development, World Vision Foundation of Thailand, which provides an overview of challenges facing young people nowadays.
Pin it on youth development ‘Creativity and Diversity’
“Under the Youth Development Project Model, World Vision Thailand aims to empower vulnerable children and adolescents living in remote areas. One of the key activities is youth life skills development which equips young people with essential skills including analytical thinking, problem-solving, relationship-building and living in harmony with other people. Adolescents are also given the space to grow their social awareness and reflect on their identity. Because vulnerable youth come from different backgrounds, each of them faces individual challenges. World Vision Thailand provides them with livelihood skills development through vocational short-course training based on their interest and also supports them with livelihood tools so that they can generate income while studying.”
Give youth space to express their creativity and participation through volunteer activities
Rattanathida elaborates on youth volunteerirm as part of World Vision Thailand’s Youth Development Project Model: “As for the development of volunteerism among youth, after we have nurtured and cultivated various life skills in children and young people, we collaborate with their educational institutions and the communities where they live to encourage them to organise youth groups. These youth groups will be equipped with knowledge and skills in leadership, communication, problem-solving and project proposal writing and will also learn the true meaning of volunteerism. The new generation is already packed with talents and abilities. We simply need to provide them with platforms for them to express themselves. It is fine to be different, depending on their age and interests. We just need to guide them to channel it in positive ways.”
“Creativity and Diversity”, showcasing youth-initiated projects
“In everything we do at World Vision Thailand, we embrace the voices of all children and youth. We also provide avenues for youth to initiate their solutions to address social problems. Through this process, youth will develop and learn on their own about what their priorities and challenges are. We serve as their pillars of support, guardians, and advisors but the process of project conceptualisation and proposal development is entirely driven by youth. During this process, they learn to collaborate with their peers and adults. This brings another crucial step in youth development as they learn about diversity, self-development, harmonious coexistence, a spirit of volunteerism and the ability to embrace differences constructively. These equip young individuals with key development assets that allow them to grow up into quality citizens.”
Rattanathida cites some youth-initiated projects which have already been implemented by World Vision youth leaders in different provinces: “The youth leaders in Mukdahan have raised awareness about the conflicts within families that lead to acts of violence against children. These conflicts are often a significant reason why children withdraw from their parents and seek solace from friends or others outside the home. As we witness through various media outlets, many children and youth are engaged in harmful behaviours. These issues stem from troubled family relationships. We encourage these children to join World Vision’s ‘Celebrating Family’ training, which emphasises the significance of family bonds, fostering expressions of love among family members and encouraging them to apologise to and forgive each other. The World Vision youth leaders in Mukdahan requested a doctor from a hospital and World Vision staff to facilitate and provide knowledge to parents and their children. What left the most profound impression was witnessing the heartwarming moments before the training concluded. Several parents shared that this was the first time they had embraced their children, expressed apologies and offered forgiveness. It was truly heartwarming to see these interactions unfold, as our ultimate goal is to create a safe haven for children and youth within the embrace of their families.”
The other activity cited by Rattanathida is the check dam construction project initiated by World Vision youth leaders from Mae Hong Son Province.
“Through this youth-led check dam construction project, we see their awareness of global climate change and its impact on the rights of children and young people. When an opportunity came, they wanted to be the change-maker. The youth leaders picked an important day to implement the project. They mobilised support from the sub-district administrative organisation, community leaders and local people, leading to an impressive turnout of volunteers on the event day. Through the combined efforts of the community, the project was brought to a successful conclusion. This check dam construction project is an inspiring example of the transformative power of youth leaders. It vividly illustrates that young people, when they embrace their diversity and channel their energy into creativity, can make a profound difference, with the support of the adults.”
World Vision Thailand’s Child Sponsorship Program currently empowers nearly 20,000 adolescents aged 13-18. This remarkable figure constitutes over 50% of the total sponsored children in the program. Through the implementation of the Youth Development Project Model in 2023 which aims to enhance youth leadership and encourage youth-initiated projects, World Vision Thailand reached over 63,800 adolescents in the difficult areas and allowed them to access life and vocational skills development.
Despite the numerous challenges and the dynamic social landscape, both domestically and internationally, young people remain confronted with a spectrum of risks that adversely impact their lives … World Vision Thailand continues its unwavering commitment to youth skills development to bring hope, joy and justice to all children.
Youth development… to be continued
