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JC Gavijan, Star Green Village Calauan, Philippines Hello everyone! I'am JC GAVIJAN from Calauan laguna former Youth of Life Project 4 Youth from Eco-Construction program year 2016-17 part of the pioneer team who builds Green Village in Makati Vill. I joined LP4Y because I want to continue my study after a short time and to get a job. In LP4Y I trained practically to develop my skills and boost my confidence to work on my professional integration. It helps me to see clearly my path in the professional field. I've been working in Decathlon Philippines for almost 4 years. Here we take decisions in our job on a daily basis freely and act as business owners handling a big department of different products of sports stuff. I got promoted after 3 years from Sport Player to a Sport Leader these experiences built my character and gave me more confidence in my actions. The main barrier for us is the pandemic; it has a big effect on individuals limiting our movements. For me it was a challenge both personal to my plan and professional. We need to adapt in every situation and be responsive in order to save our futures. For every youth who are struggling today because of this storm. Act now to have a better tomorrow and make every moment an opportunity to learn. LP4Y organization, our coaches and the Stars Club will help you with your professional integration. Be transparent to them in your decision and plans. I'm very optimistic that they will guide you on day 1 until you will succeed in your life. I am very grateful to share my words to everyone.

Have a look at the celebration, happening last 25th January at the Green Village Raipur. Green Village Raipur, India The Biggest celebration of the Year ! Once a year in every center of LP4Y, we celebrate the Entrepreneurs Day called the “Eday” ! This event is an opportunity for every Youth, Stars and Entrepreneurs to gather while inviting the partners and the whole ecosystem of their center to join. We graduate all the entrepreneurs (the Youth who finish their PTE - Professional Training for Entrepreneurs), we also reward our partners and thank them for their continuous support and the Youth from the team display their achievements in each of their MEI (Micro Economy Initiative) that happened during the past year.

LPC Paharganj, New Delhi, India Chandan, Management Step, LPC Paharganj, Delhi Before LP4Y, I had no goals or objectives in my life. Since I joined LP4Y, I now have a goal, which is to achieve my dream job. I want to open my computer Institute. I also have a backup plan, which is to become an accountant in MNC Company. In LP4Y, I learned to be confident when speaking in front of people. I used to be a shy person but now I feel very comfortable with public speaking. I also acquired some leadership skills and business skills, and was taught how to adopt a professional behavior at work.Now I am very happy in LP4Y because it gave me achievements in my life. Thank you so much to the coaches for their time and commitment! Thank you for giving me the keys to change my life and I find my goals in life! I hope many lives of Youth will be changed in the future! Thank you so much! Chandan Sonia & Neha, Responsability Step, LPC Paharganj, Delhi We first came to LP4Y in October 2020. We acquired English and computer skills, but also worked on our confidence level. Thanks to the MEI, we daily work in a department and learn how to manage a team. For Entrepreneurs Day, we created a dance for the talent show! It was our first E-day, and it surely was a great experience for us! During the preparation, we learned many things: we trained to be more professional, but also improved our creativity to be ready on the D-Day and give our best performance. Winning and losing are part of life, and it is important to always be resilient in what we are trying to achieve. This dance was a challenge for us, but at the end we did a great job and were very proud of ourselves! When life gives you a chance to overpass yourself and learn new things, take it! Sonia & Neha Shakreen, Management Step, LPC Paharganj, Delhi Before joining LP4Y, I did not understand English, and I had no rules in my life. One day, my sister Shabreen suggested that I join LP4Y. After joining LP4Y, I really improved my English, computer and communication skills! My professional behaviour, as well as my body language also improved greatly! I am very happy, because I think that those skills will help me to achieve my dream job and my professional integration! My father does not support me and my family, and our situation is very critical. Finding a decent job therefore is important to me, and I think LP4Y will help me greatly in this! Thank you LP4Y! Shakreen

Ian Buenavist, President of the Stars Club, LPC Payatas, The Philippines My name is Ian Buenavista, a motivated 21 years old man from Manila, Philippines and I joined LP4Y in the year 2016. Before joining LP4Y I used to live in the province. I just graduated from High school and got scholarship from the university, however in an unfortunate time, my father died and we got into a serious financial problem, that is why I stop studying and from the young age I learned to be independent and work in the wet market where I tried different work and can say that I never had have a purpose in life. God’s timing is so perfect that he let me meet LP4Y. It may not be the timing and the things I want, but it’s the timing I need in life. My relatives far from the province asked me to considered LP4Y. I came here to Manila living in my aunt's house to learn more about LP4Y. When I heard about the foundation, the word “Scam” is the first thing that came to my mind but then I gave it a try and considered it - I remember myself saying “If I don’t try then I will never know”. Since I am a youth with a lot of curiosity, I started to go to the Center. Step by step I learned a lot from being shy, not confident, not good in English, from being a Youth who doesn’t know computer skills and who comes from the countryside. The coaches had patiently and consistently taught me the things I needed to learn. It started from the process of micro-business and how the business works on-hand. I have learned to be the follower that makes me a responsible youth not only to myself but then to the people around me. What I learned in LP4Y has been my armor to fight for my position in life. LP4Y helped me building and improving my qualities and skills that are very helpful because all the things I did in LP4Y are the same things inside the company from inventory, processing of records and files and being a great team player. LP4Y really is a foundation for experience. The time management for being punctual, be responsible, be the follower, to focus more on the objective, and different skills like communication skills, English, email and computer skills and be a professional worker while helping the company towards its growth. Most importantly I also learned to be the leader who provides examples and be a role model for the other Youth. I am also proud and happy as the current President of Quezon City LP4Y Stars Club who’s still assisting the Youth in the center by providing trainings and building the Communication link between the Stars who graduated in LP4Y and the Youth currently in the program. I started in CGI as a Global HR Member Services Associate and worked with my team for 2 years.The opportunity of working into a Global IT company such as CGI have a lot to be grateful for, but then of course it is a challenging environment and I have been criticized due to the lack of documentations or degree and in this challenging times I have realized and proved that LP4Y Youth are the most equipped Youth with skills needed in every position in every company. After the 2 years as HR I grab the opportunity to move to the Financial Shared Services as a Payroll Junior Consultant in CGI and I am still working hard and doing what I have to do for my personal growth, the growth of the company and the people around me. I am currently working at home with the privilege given by the CGI and now I can focus more on my own improvement as I am currently studying in Polytechnic University of the Philippines taking up Business of Arts in Broadcasting and have time for the QC Stars LP4Y improvement. I realized all this time that we don’t have to be great to start, but we have to start to be great. To focus on the positive and learn a lot from the experiences because your simple experiences and your stories could help someone else to be motivated in life! Last February from 2 to 6, I was given an opportunity to become an Assistant Coach and be the volunteer for one week in Payatas Quezon City, Manila for PayataSport Team. I had a great week with the youth and I have seen their professionalism and responsibility Skills during my stay. While helping them learn, I, myself, learn from them too and can see the team spirit with one dream to succeed in the future. From this experience, I learned to appreciate life even if it's not perfect and reminded that happiness is not a fulfilment of what we wish for, but an appreciation of what we have and what we can provide. I am very thankful and grateful for this opportunity that I will cherish my whole life.

Jeanne Vigouroux, LP4Y Lab New York, United States In October 2020, Life Project 4 Youth, as a foundation, was officially granted the special consultative status at the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC). That was recognizing LP4Y as an expert, as a representative of the civil society in the UN, carrying the voices of Youth coming from extreme poverty and exclusion. Holding this status enables us to participate in the 59th Commission for Social Development focusing on “Socially just transition towards sustainable development: the role of digital technologies on social development and well-being of all”, occurring online in February 2021. 85% of tomorrow's jobs do not exist today and the role of new technologies is an undeniable accelerator in the process of sustainable social and professional inclusion of Youth. For the past 11 years, LP4Y has been preparing young adults for these future endeavors by integrating digital technology into its training programs and our organization has also developed several more in-depth projects, which targets the specific needs of the Youth and takes into account the use of technologies in their lives. Therefore, LP4Y is organizing a side event to present and share : Concrete solutions that use digital technologies as an inclusive tool to empower Youth living in extreme poverty Some Stars and Youth will give testimonies, sharing their experience and the importance of digital in their professional inclusion. Our side event will highlight as well some of our latest practices and explain the various methods that foster Youth inclusion, with the participation of 360 Learning, General Electric, Techno India and Indian and Portuguese permanent missions to the United Nations. We will, among others, present the Digital Inc (for Inclusion) platform and the Digi Women initiative. February 17th 2021 1:15pm (NYC) - 7:15pm (France) - 11:45pm (India) - 2:15am (Philippines) Zoom link here

Clementine Turgeon, LP4Y Booster Ecosystem, Philippines Faced with the global pandemic of Covid19, the year 2020 was indeed challenging for LP4Y but, in hindsight, it also encouraged us to be innovative and agile to find solutions to keep accompanying the Youth towards their professional inclusion . We are also thankful to count around us partners who, despite the economy dwindling down, didn’t wither in their support for our actions. From July to September 2020, 50 of them across Asia responded to a survey we sent to all of our corporate partners. We wanted to understand how companies managed their HR strategies during and after the crisis in order to support the professional integration of the Youth. The aim was to have an answer to this question: What are the professional prospects for the excluded Youth in Asia? The answers collected were surprisingly positive and hopeful for the future integration of excluded young adults. Even though 70% of the respondents had to freeze recruitment altogether starting March 2020, 64.8% of them declared that when hiring again they would be primarily looking for people with soft skills such as growth mindset, willingness to learn, smartness, communication skills, behavioral skills and positive attitude. When asked if they would be willing to hire young adults with no formal education but with these sought-after skills , 72.2% of the companies responded positively . This is excellent news for the Youth of LP4Y which pedagogy is focused on developing soft skills that are essential in the workplace. Most of the respondents were willing to turn these HR convictions into actions for the Youth. Indeed, in order for these Youth to gain the necessary soft and hard skills, 77.7% of the respondents were ready to implement an internship program in their company to boost the recruitment of excluded young adults. Despite the crisis, when asked if they would still be motivated to participate in CSR activities for excluded young adults between then and the end of the year 2020, 79.6% of the respondents declared being motivated to organise professional exposure events with the Youth . And indeed, throughout the year, we experienced this willingness to still take actions for the Youth, with many professional exposure activities regularly organised by our ecosystem. In fact, in 2020: 376 mock interviews were conducted by 34 partners across Asia. 40 trainings were given to the Youth by 19 partners across Asia 43 company visits were organised by 26 partners across Asia 42 Youth were hired for internships by 10 partners across Asia 29 Youth were successfully recruited by 13 partners across Asia It seems most responding companies understand the value of hiring Youth coming from exclusion. They cited reasons such as: “Dynamism - Energy and vibrancy”, “Flexibility, the will to learn quickly”, “They are smart, fast-thinkers.”, “Fresh ideas”. However, recruiting outside of a company’s comfort zones can be intimidating at first. This is why when asked if they would be willing to join a network of companies involved in the professional integration of excluded youth , 53.7% of the respondents declared that they were very interested. The primary reason cited was to be able to share best practices to integrate excluded youth. This exchange between companies is the primary goal of the Youth Inclusion Network (YIN ) - a network of companies committed to the inclusion of the Youth initiated by LP4Y in 2016. A network of which 33.3% of the survey respondents were actually already members. We would like to thank the 50 companies for taking the time to respond to this survey and for giving us your honest take on the effects of the crisis on your business as well as your hopes for the future. If you would like to read the full report, you will find it HERE . We would like to extend our thanks to our entire partnership ecosystem for keeping on supporting us last year despite the challenges. At the onset of 2021, we wish this new year to be filled with prosperous projects and joy . Just as we hope to keep working together in building a world of equal opportunities .

Pierre-Marie Buffé, Coach & Operations Development, TDC Dhaka LP4Y Bangladesh Diving into a new reality When I started my journey at LP4Y, I was excited and strongly motivated to go abroad, anywhere, as long as I would face new challenges and discover a new way of living. It was a main driving force for my engagement as a LP4Y Catalyst: taking perspective and learning to change my representations of the world to be able to truly engage in a cooperation mode. As I dedicate myself to work in the international development cooperation sector, I could not imagine myself working on a bureaucratic level without having any idea of the reality of the field work. From (im)patience to turbulence After working on my patience and dealing with the uncertainties caused by the global pandemic, my departure to Dhaka was sudden as it came in the rush of the situation we faced. After 7 months of waiting, I packed my bag and said a few goodbye within 48h. In the plane, I dealt with a strange feeling of mixed emotions and yet the uncertainty accompanying me caused by the pandemic and the horrible assassinations that happened in France by the end of 2020. Suspended in the dark night sky, my imagination was playing with my rationality. I saw myself denied entry at the Bangladeshi immigration because of the aggressive protests happening in Dhaka against the French government and expatriate community. I would be German for now, my 7 years spent in Germany would be my greatest alibi. I finally arrived safely and dived directly in the warm and humid atmosphere of Dhaka. A permanent veil of smoke was surrounding the megalopolis due to the pollution. Not very surprising when you look at the numbers: 21 millions people living in the area with a density higher than 45000hab./km2… Quite a change compared to my calm and peaceful Brittany. The first emotions upon my arrival are hardly explainable. It was a load of everything, all my senses being permanently solicited. I was feeling like a sponge, absorbing the ongoing noises of the traffic and the street vendors, inhaling the various smells while keeping my eyes wide open in order to cope within a new world opening to me. While swimming in an ocean of unknown and novelty, I remembered the reactions of my friends and relatives when I told them that I would go to Bangladesh for one year. Deconstruct and learn from below My contradictory spirit naturally helped me to relativise the preconceived ideas and opinions that my loved ones told me, without any doubts to help me and show me their love and concern. But everything I have heard did not match at all with my experience until now. The overall negative picture of Bangladesh is probably coming from the past time of the young history of the country. Due to the extraordinary situation, I was alone in Dhaka for a month, waiting for the arrival of my country coordinator and another colleague. As a matter of fact, I never felt lonely one single day. I was incredibly welcomed by the expatriate community as well as the local community where I was living. « Videshi, videshi ! », were saying the children with an astonished look as I would meet them in small streets of my neighbourhood, full of street vendors. I was looking everywhere and I had the feeling that everyone was looking at me with interrogation, sometimes suspicion but mostly with interest and goodwill. Ironically I got asked many times what was my home country. I stayed under German cover as the embassy was repeating us to be very careful in any situation. The following days upon my arrival were full with daily discoveries and encounters. I reconnected with the organisations that already knew LP4Y thanks to the great work made by my former colleagues and I was meeting new contacts. The courtesy and hospitality of the Bangladeshi people I met amazed me. The excluded persons I met that are living in poverty were incredibly generous, curious and welcoming. Nobody told me that important social and human values were so present in poor and excluded areas. Indeed there is a great human richness that is coexisting with a precarious material scarcity. Living different worlds everyday I felt mostly grateful to have the opportunity to live in antagonistic situations on a daily basis, what I call « social stretching »: We could visit a slum in the morning, meeting the local community living there, drinking the traditional tea with them and try to learn about their situations. In the evening, we were joining the expatriate community, getting to know them, their jobs, life and concerns. It was first disconcerting to realise that most of the people don't have the possibility to take perspective on their daily life and concerns through the encounter of other people’s realities. Disconnection and disparities are strongly present in my experience of Dhaka. I was tempted to lose nerves in that situation several times but I prefer to see myself as extremely privileged to have the chance to live in these strongly opposite worlds that ignore each other. Meeting each other, working together and share smiles After 3 months, I feel already very comfortable here, in the magnificent organised chaos of Dhaka. I almost missed it while being in India a couple of times. I was very happy to welcome my two colleagues Aileen and Léonie and share the very special experience of living in Bangladesh. It is very stimulating to live in a setting where a lot of things are unknown. There are few books, movies and documentaries about Bangladesh, still there are a lot of things to say. For now the words don't come but it will, along with the experiences of living here. People say that they cry two times, when they arrive in Bangladesh and when they leave it. I saw it a couple of days ago when a friend left. Maybe we will all cry as well when we’ll leave. But for now we look to a bright future here in Dhaka. We have already met wonderful young women that are very motivated to change their situations and the way people consider women. We will open a Training & Development Center (TDC) in a few months. Hope and optimism are pushing me and a deep desire to share, live and support the young women of the Bhashantek slums that, only in a few hours, inspired me much respect and consideration. If there is a meaning in life, then it is most probably through the encounter of individuals that despite all the challenges and burdens of life open to you and share their hopes and smiles unconditionally.

Khushbu Pachouri, Train 4 Change Sangam Vihar, Delhi, India After the lockdown, LP4Y started a new project : give trainings to community. The Life Project Center Sangam Vihar became a Training Development Center (TDC). Every Wednesday and Friday afternoon, from 2:30pm to 4:30pm, the 2 teams of 17 Youths are sharing education, knowledge and skills by giving English and Computer trainings : from 2:30pm to 3:30pm Youths are giving English Training, from 3:30pm to 4:15pm, computer training, and from 4:15pm to 4:30 pm : tea, cookies and namkeen. Later, we will answer to the community needs by adding new trainings like Hindi, Matha, General knowledge… One day training is fifty rupees; full month training two hundred (8 trainings in total). The target of the TDC is 18+ adults, 50% reserved for women. All over the world, many international businesses conduct meetings in English, Universities courses are in English, media, internet, scientific papers are available in English, and around the world tourists and travellers use English as a common language. It is a global language, that can help you to get a job, meet new people, acquire some knowledge, gives you access to multiple cultures. Know how to use computer is important for work, education, and everyday life. It has become a standard in the world. Computer help the students to learn about the world and know what is happening in it. It helps them to reach excellent jobs in the future and succeed in it. But who is part of this ecosystem ? LP4Y Staff Coach Salomé Jacqui My name is Salomé, I'm 25years old, I did a master degree in Crisis Management in France and I'm now a coach in LP4Y Sangam Vihar, Delhi. My hobbies are reading and discovering India because the culture is very different, What I prefer in India is the beauty we can find in each and every moment and the kindness of people. Project Leaders Juliette Fazekas My name is Juliette Fazekas, I’m 26 years old, and i work as a Project Manager - Voices of the Youth at LP4Y. I worked for 2 years as a support on the global coordination of LP4Y, while I was also the Project Manager in charge of the recruitment of new volunteers. Now, I am starting a new mission as a project manager on the new project called Voices of the Youth - which is a mission around advocacy on Youth inclusion. I was born in the United States of America, and I moved to France with my family when I was 6 years old, I started to work when I turned 18, right after high school, in fashion, then art, and now in Social Development. Clémence Laulan My name is Clémence Laulan, I'm 29 years old and I am French. I lived in France until I was 24 years old and then I lived in Spain for 4 years. I arrived for the first time in India, Delhi - Sangam Vihar Center in February 2020. I work as Project Leader MEI (Micro Economic Initiatives) for the South Asia zone (meaning: India, Nepal and Myanmar countries). My mission is to help developing the MEI of each LP4Y center. Laetitia Hra My name is Laetitia Hra, I’m 27 years old, I am working as Country Coordinator - Philippines for LP4Y. I grew up in Morocco until 18 years old. Then I went to France where I started to study Human Resources. Before LP4Y, I was working in a business school as a project leader partnerships, in order to develop integration opportunities for the students. After 8 months of working in this school, I decided to change my way of life and to do something that has more sense for me. So, I applied for LP4Y and I started my mission as a Project Leader Partnerships for the South Asia zone, based in Delhi - India from August 2019 to September 2020. This mission consisted of developing partnerships with companies, NGO's and Institutions in India, Nepal, Myanmar, and Bangladesh in order to advocate for Youth inclusion and develop integration opportunities for the Youth. Also, one of my main mission was to accompany the coach to develop their partnerships in their cities and help them to follow the LP4Y partnership strategy. After 1 year, I started in October 2020, a new mission in LP4Y as a Country Coordinator for the Philippines. This mission is really interesting as I have very different subjects every day regarding the Youth, the Stars, the Catalysts...I can not tell you what is a typical day as a Country Coordinator as every day is different, because the situation of each catalyst and youth are different. However, I can try to describe it in 2 different aspects: one is the support of the Catalysts in the field, by trying to find solutions with them, working together to develop the different projects in The Philippines; another is the coordination of the different projects that we have during the year and accompany the team to realize these projects. 2. The Youth Abdul Karim My name is Abdul Karim, I am 19 years old, I’m studying in 11th class, and there are 6 members in my family. My father Md Kalam works in a factory and my mother Zakeena Khatoon is housewife. I am in Autonomy step and after LP4Y, I want to join the army before becoming Editor in the future. Poonam Kumari My name is Poonam Kumari, I live in Sangam vihar, I am 12th pass out and there are 11 members in my family. I love listening to music and cooking. I am now in Management step and after LP4Y, I want to become receptionist. Vandana Sarwan My name is Vandana, I live in sangam vihar new delhi, I am 12th pass out and there are 5 members in my family. I am now in autonomy step and after LP4Y, i want to become lawyer assistant and then lawyer. My best quality is my good behavior and honesty. Gulshana & Ashiyana Saifi My name is Gulshana Saifi, I am 18 year old, I love dancing and I want to become O.T doctor. My name is Ashiyana Saifi, I am 17 yeard old, I love listening to sad songs and make sketches and I want to become IAS officer. We are living in Sangam vihar with our 5 family members, and pursuing 12th class. Laxmi Chauhan My name is Laxmi Chauhan, I am 20 years old, I live in Sangam Vihar, and I have done my 10th (CBSE) and 12th standard (NIOS). I am now in Autonomy step and after LP4Y, I want to become airport ticketing executive, before opening my own business. My first quality is being positive,being myself,and being strong. My hobbies are dancing, reading books,and playing racket. Rahil Khan My name is Rahil Khan, I am 22 years old, I am pursuing B.A final year from ignou and I live in delhi, sangam vihar. I am now in the management step and i want to work in a computer line like data entry, before becoming fashion designer. Shama Khatoon My name is Shama, I am 15 years old, I am 9 class pursuing and I like all the English trainings in LP4Y. Shabham Khatoon My name is Shabham Khatoon, I am 13 years old, I am pursuing 8 class, I want to become a Doctor. I understand all the topics training and I like both training English and Computer. Simra Safi My name is simar Safi, I am 11 years old, I am 6 class pursuing, and my dream is to become a Doctor. I love learning English and understand all things and I like both training subject english and computer. Zaira Safi My name is Zaira Safi, I am 10 years old, I am pursuing 6th class and my hobbies are singing songs and play online games. My dream is to become a Doctor. I like the trainings and I learn more topic tenses, verbs. I most like the English trainings. Shifa Safi My name is Shifa Safi, I am 12 years old, I am pursuing 7 class, my hobbies play online games and my dream is to become an Indian police service officer. I like both ENGLISH and COMPUTER trainings. Shamsalam Shek My name is Shamsalam Shek, I am 18 years old, I am 9 pass out, my hobby is playing cricket and my dream is to become a Doctor. Thanks to LP4Y trainings, my English is better than before and I most like Computer training. Yafi Safi My name is Yafi Safi, I am 7 years old, I am 6 class pursuing, my hobby is playing cricket and my dream is to become ARMY OFFICER. I like training and learn how to use Computer and speak english. Thank you for helping me 3 . Trainer Laurène Becquart My name is Laurène Becquart, I’m 28 years old, I studied Philosophy, Political Science and Economics + documentary Photography Master. I have been a volunteer for LP4Y for a few months leading sessions about women's empowerment and photography as well. An important point I’ve noticed between French and Indian culture ? The difference of the CONCEPT OF LIFE AND DEATH between India and the western world (including France). In India, death is part of the daily life, part of the life cycle, it is not a fearful thing to avoid at all cost, it is something that everyone has to go through. Therefore death is not hidden, ageing (getting old) is not scary, old people are not isolated, funerals are on the open, thus, death just becomes one part of the life cycle. Few words about the writer : My name is Khushbu, I am 20 years old, 12th passed out and I live in New Delhi. I am in Responsibility step. I am pursuing Bachelor of Arts 2nd year. My favorite subjects are History and Home science. My hobbies are listening to songs in Panjabi and watching horror movies. On my free time, I also enjoy sports like foot-ball and reading English story books, I like traveling by train, My favourite Bollywood movie is Dharkar and Hollywood movie Twilight all parts, My favourite song is Tujhe Na Dekhu Toh Chain, I like meet stranger parson. LP4Y Stories is the first project I have to handle in LP4Y center so it is very important for me. This project is a real work experience in journalism as I want to become reporter. Thank you to my coach Salome Jacqui and Laura Baptiste. Salome discussed with Laura about me and both selected me to handle this project. It is an opportunity I can not forget in my whole life. First, I talked to Laura on whatsapp video call, she told me how to make LP4Y stories. She is a very nice and good person. Salome also every time helps me in my work by giving me advices. Without advice, I am not able to do anything. I also thanks Clémence, all LP4Y catalysts, Abdul Karim, and all team members. ENGLISH TRAINING The trainees give English trainings to the Youth. They learn to use correct English grammar and spelling and to form a sentence in correct English. COMPUTER TRAINING Computer training on how to use a computer and teach knowledge and skills. The Youth are taught to use google docs (words, excel, slides) and managing their files.

Adrien Bachelet & Jade Tellier, Green Village Raipur, India We are finally on the field, at the Green Village, Raipur in India. Due to the coronavirus situation, we were waiting for so many months for our departure from France. It was of course difficult to be unable to join the field but we never dropped our project. It is a life project for both of us, not a parenthesis in our professional experiences and during all these months, we had a lot of time to imagine our days here, Jade as a Coach, Adrien as a Project Manager Integration. We both know Asia, we already know India and this made us even more excited to really “live India” and to have time to understand this spiritual, rich and colorful country. We didn’t know a lot about the Green Village Raipur, we just knew that the GV is situated in the middle of a small village - Saragaon, in the countryside but it was hard to imagine anything. We didn’t really know which expectations to have. We were like LP4Y loves to say, under total “lâcher-prise” - “let it go” and it was a huge surprise when we arrived at our final destination. It was a big dream that finally came true. We arrived at our new home at night and it was only in the morning that we discovered the landscape from the terrace and the rooftop: a rice field background with farmers, cows, locals dressed with beautiful colors bathing on the ponds, colorful houses and fruit trees. Our neighborhood We quickly realized that we were at home. Our new home for 1 year! We reached the Green Village after a 15 minutes walk with some salutations of the inhabitants of the village. We will always remember the Youth welcoming on our first day at the GV. They were all applauding in line with a big smile and with a rose freshly cut from the garden for both of us. A warm welcome from the Youth at the GV We thought that we would have a very long period of observation before entering into the work but finally, we entered into the field very quickly. Here, everyday, we learn a lot about patience. Of course it is a different culture and when a Youth tells you “ok, I will do it” or “ok, I am capable of” then you come back again and again to ask for the task to be done and you finally just realize that he didn’t understand your request, you understand that you have to change absolutely all your way of doing and thinking. The biggest challenge is of course patience but also the Youth determination and motivation, they have to keep all the motivation during their 3 months here. You know when a Youth is fully motivated and you quickly see when someone is lazier and needs to be motivated. If they motivate themselves, they go very far. You learn a lot about each Youth personality and you develop a strong sense of intuition. Moreover, thanks to the individual talk, we strengthen our relationships and it touches us a lot when we see a Youth that does everything for improving himself for a better personal and professional life. It will be a year of full surprise and we personally feel that we are at the right place at the right moment. Helping others is fulfilling and helping with an innovative pedagogy is even better. It is fulfilling to help the Youth accept themself and focus on their future, making life road with them and give them hope by truly believing in themself and in their potential. After a month, we see the results and the impacts rapidly. We learn how to be more rigorous and demanding with the Youth and we understand the sense of our mission. We experienced the first departure from the GV of some Youth to their first job and it was very moving. We see that more and more companies take their social responsibility seriously and it is nice to know that we will follow the Youth professional experience. A Youth who leaves the GV for starting her job. To tell more about our village environment, here, animals are part of our lives. On some mornings, we are escorted by monkeys and dogs on our way to work. Cows try to enter our working space and some dogs try to bite us at night on our way back home. In our home, we found a frog in our water gallon, we got a nice snake guest in our roommate's bedroom and it is a nice souvenir to remember all the indian family of the landlord who arrived for New Year in our living room to chase the snake. Also, we used to share our house with "Rémy the Rat''. This is a big exit from our comfort zone and our indian neighborhood must be wondering why we are screaming sometimes. From our terrace, we see mongoose, eagles and a large variety of birds. It is very peaceful! Nature is very important for us and ecology as well. Although, this is a pillar of the green village pedagogy. The wonderful sunset from our Catalyst House We are happy there and we found our balance between our personal and professional life, we share moments and some events with the Youth (Christmas, Stars Dinner…) Christmas party and Jade first experience with Sari The STARS dinner We do morning yoga on our terrace, we spend a lot of time preparing and having breakfast with all our roommates, we learn a lot about indian cuisine and we have our annual subscription at the “Squash Club of Raipur”. Furthermore, it is very new for us to live with 5 roommates as a couple and it was one of our fears before the mission to find the balance between “roommates life” and “couple life”. But finally, we have a very good experience and it feels good to be surrounded by people with the same interests and values. We are spending a lot of time with them but also with some people in our village. We went to the barber and we met the best haircut ever : Sanjay. After our work, on the same day, we passed in front of his house and he invited us to his simple and traditional red mud house. We met all his beautiful family and this moment is still today one of our best memories of our first month here. Sanjay, the Haircut with his beautiful wife Lunch at Shouria’s house Jade & Adrien

The Youth, the Catalysts and all the teams of LP4Y

Rachel Cisinski, Contry Coordinator, TDC Beirut , Lebanon In October 2019, a team of Catalysts put down their bags in Beirut to launch the LP4Y project in a new geographical setting. After prospecting for three months, they had to leave the country in order to obtain a new visa. Then followed the health crisis that everybody knows about and the closure of international borders, preventing our Catalysts from returning to Lebanon. In November 2020, the team was finally back in Beirut, where the deteriorating situation on the economic, political and social levels gave greater meaning to the inclusion initiatives proposed to the lebanese population. In this article, Rachel, the country coordinator, gives us a portrait of a Lebanon as brave as it is vulnerable. “Habibi”, a portrait of Lebanon by an LP4Y Catalyst Lebanon is this narrow strip of land that unfurls between the most beautiful sea in the world—the Mediterranean—ranges of densely wooded mountains and historical Syria. An Arab side and a European profile. A tiny dot—twice as small as a French region, ten times as small as an Indian one—sitting between the East and the West. One day is all it takes to drive across the country. “Chouf, chouf! How beautiful it is!” Chouf!—which is Look! in Arabic—is also the name of one of its most famous regions. This is winter, you leave Beirut, its 22° Celsius, soft light, calm sea and high buildings. You drive along a road lined with banana trees. Then the landscape get more stony. A little further on, you can hear the life-saving gurgling of natural springs coming down the mountain. Miles of forest, pines, oaks, wild almond trees, two-thousand-year-old cedars stretch as far as the eye can see. As you continue to make your way up, the temperature drop and the magnificent scenery of the peaks still snow-capped in summer instantly revivify you. Eventually you go down on the other side and find yourself in the bare and arid plain of the Bekaa… The Lebanese people is a reflection of its land: full of reliefs, contrasts and diversity. Shiites, Sunnites, Maronites, Druze, Greek Orthodox, Armenian Catholics, Alawites, Ismaelians... a mere 4,000 sq mi for 18 religious denominations, each of them holding their values, traditions and personality close to their heart… Lebanon has always been a land of refuge and today more than ever with “refugees” from Palestine, Syria, Jordan, Iraq making up one third of its population… Lebanon has also long been the stage where foreign powers could demonstrate their strength. So, when the country gained its independence in 1943, a new golden age began... It ended in 1975 with the outbreak of the Civil War. 30 years during which these communities were torn apart; communities pitted against one another, giving each Lebanese a shattered identity as it was too multiple: at once murderer, orphan and victim. So what about Lebanon today? Poor management, corruption, communitarianism, lack of public services leading to a waste crisis, electricity cuts, water shortages, economic and financial crisis causing the Lebanese pound to rank as the second most devaluated currency in the world, along a soaring unemployment rate, a drastic rise in the cost of living, the partial destruction of Beirut on August 4, 2020, the health crisis... All they need now is a plague of locust... as the one they had at the turn of the last century… Some may argue that Lebanon is a country that is sinking down a seemingly bottomless ocean; that the varied and numerous evils that beset the country are just too much to bear for such a small region. Yet, HOPE is the first— and only—word which comes to my mind when I think of LEBANON. For beyond all these impossibilities, all this violence, the Lebanese have shown an exceptional will to live. If adversity is ancestral, an unfailing generosity, an incompressible power of the heart flows in every vein. In Lebanon, taxi drivers, if you take the time to exchange a few words with them, kiss the top of your head when you get out and forcefully putting your purse back into your bag, refuse to take your money. “Habibi” they say. Doctor Jamal,65, retired, a lady with a thousand talents, who doesn't know you much and yet agrees to walk up and down the most rundown streets of Beirut to help you find the building which will host the first LP4Y centre. “Habibi”. Mustapha, the Syrian green grocer round the corner, invites you into his home to meet his wife, sons, daughters, daughters in law, grand children (there are quite a few people at home) and treats you like a queen, showering you with his kindness although you understand little Arabic. “Habibi” In Lebanon, you will hear “Ahl w Sahla”, welcome, every day. The mother of one of your friends taught you that it literally means “prairies and parents”. And indeed, after traveling miles, there at last, you will always find a family in Lebanon. Every day you are impressed by the humanity and strength of the Lebanese people and that of the Youth especially. The same young people who, in October 2019 launched the “thaoura”, a revolution that brought together an entire people, united at last, after being divided for so long. These very youths who the day after the explosion came to the streets near Beirut port to rescue people, pick up the wreckage, clear up the rubble and reach out. These young people who in a system which does not provide any social welfare take care of their parents, their aunts, their uncles. These young people who have few opportunities, if any, but do not get bitter for all that. Thank you for your dignity, for your humanity. Thank you for making me feel welcome, thank you for your proud humbleness for always saving a seat for the hungry. It is more than ever urgent to support the Lebanese Youth to help them not to give up hope and believe in their future as much as we believe in it! The LP4Y project was designed for them, to allow them not to give up and to see far ahead. I am looking forward to working alongside the first young Lebanese within the LP4Y programme. I am looking forward to sharing their success, to seeing them grow and show their strengths. I am looking forward to seeing them shine.

Lilas Arquillière, YIN Coordinator, Entrepreneurs House in Taguig, Philippines Who are you? Hello! I am Lilas Arquillière, I am 26 and I come from Dijon in France. I was project manager in a communication agency in Lyon but I wanted to have more social and intercultural aspects in my job, that is why I applied to Life Project For Youth (LP4Y). Today I live in Manila, in The Philippines, in one LP4Y center. It is very close to the slums to allow the Youth to come everyday to attend their 9-month professional training and despite the noise, I really appreciate living in my place. I started my mission as Youth Inclusion Network (YIN) coordinator in February 2020, one month before the lockdown. What is the YIN? The Youth Inclusion Network (YIN) is a network of companies willing to reduce poverty and act for the inclusion of Youth from underprivileged backgrounds. Initiated by Life Project For Youth (LP4Y) Foundation in 2015, the YIN is active in The Philippines, in Vietnam and soon in Nepal and India. The YIN members (= the companies) organise professional activities for the Youth as company visits, mock interview sessions, professional trainings, and they also propose job or internship offers to the excluded Youth from the NGOs partner of the YIN. To be part of the YIN, the members commit to organise at least one professional action per year for the excluded Youth. It is the only requirement to join the YIN, otherwise it is totally free. This video can help you to understand more how the YIN is working. What are your missions? As YIN coordinator I am in link with the companies member of the YIN (especially HR or CSR managers and Directors) to: > help them to organise professional activities and ensure the registration of the Youth > communicate their job or internship offers to the excluded Youth and transmit the applications > organise events towards Youth inclusion to allow the companies to share their experiences and best practices in order to inspire the other ones and allow some collaborations between the members. I am also managing the communication of the YIN and the recruitment of new members (= companies) and partners (= actors working with excluded Youth). I also like to spend time with the Youth by providing some trainings or collective guidance to understand better their needs and be able to give ideas of actions to the companies. How did you adapt your activities to the COVID crisis? In The Philippines the lockdown is very strict, today we are still in quarantine so the physical meetings are not allowed and most of the people work from home. Fortunately, most of the YIN members stayed involved and we found digital ways to continue the activities despite the situation. Since March 2020, we have organised: > +110 online mock interviews via Zoom or Google Meet > 4 pre-recorded professional training via videos hosted on YouTube > 6 professional trainings provided in live by a facilitator on Microsoft Teams > 1 virtual company visit And there were also a few hiring and internship opportunities. Can you tell some achievements you are proud of? With the LP4Y Vietnam team, we organised an afterwork both in physical and virtual ways. I was in Manila while the event was in Ho Chi Minh City, and as I could not travel I did my presentation on Google Meet, broadcasted on a big screen during the event. The team onsite in Ho Chi Minh was helping me to coordinate the event and we even succeeded to have testimonies of deaf and mute Youth signed translated in live. There were a lot of technical aspects to organise but the event went smoothly and I was very happy to see the YIN members gathered. I am also very proud each time we organise an event with a company because the Youth have always very good feedback, they really like to ask questions and learn from the professionals. If you are interested, convinced or just curious about Youth inclusion, you are more than welcome to contact me: Lilas Arquilliere Youth Inclusion Network (YIN) - Coordinator Tel: (+63) 919 502 2743 / Whatsapp: (+33) 6 28 68 02 07