Isaline - Former Nepal Coordinator
Last week, I had the chance to go back to an LP4Y center but this time in Beirut.
What a joy to be back in the excitement!
It's been 7 months since I finished my mission in Nepal as a country coordinator, after having worked for a little more than 2 years for this movement that fights for the professional and social inclusion of young people living in extreme poverty.
LP4Y Training Centers come with a different atmosphere, they are above all a place for action and change thus a catalyst, as we say within the movement.
But what is a Center?
Well, it is :
-the group of young people who fight every day to learn and seize new opportunities
-the team of coaches dedicated and motivated to help them,
-the network of partners mobilized for inclusion
-the useful Micro- business focused on the needs of the neighborhood surrounding the center.
During my visit to the Training Center located in Bourj Hammoud, I was once again amazed by the charisma, dynamism and creativity of the young
people who were given very little at the beginning and who have ever since managed to make up for this inequality.
Youth Encounter:
“Excited to show us their center, we make a small tour with Youth describing every single detail about their days here. I listened to Hinda trying to expl
ain to me how her team, responsible for offering Computer and English classes, goes to pick up a group of children from another neighborhood every Tuesday, because she knows that they do not have access to school or any type of education there.”
“I also saw Hadil's eyes shining when she told me that last week she had done three days of training with a partner in one of the big office towers in Beirut.”
Moral of the story:
Certainly, the young people learn a lot at the center but so do we - coach or support!
Here are two beautiful lessons that my mission has taught me and that I would like to keep in my memory for the rest of my adventures:
All it takes is one click for everyone to develop their potential, as witnessed by the incredible evolution of many of the young people I have met over the past two years! The shy girl who doesn't dare to speak up or look you in the eye can in a few weeks become a real leader and take the group by storm.
When plan A doesn't work and everything seems lost, there is always a plan B or even a plan Z to be found: you must never give up and above all learn to be flexible with different situations.
Finally, coming back to an LP4Y center was an obvious choice while visiting Lebanon and it was as usual never disappointing: wherever the location is, it is like coming home.
I am with no doubt convinced of LP4Y's mission, and I am also always touched to meet the people who dedicate their energy to it and finally by the young people themselves.
Thank you to the Bourj Hammoud Center for welcoming me and allowing me to share the experience of my mission!