Which story would you like to read? 

News from Jashen Mae, Youth of Deco'me Program, Green Village Calauan During the first week, my daily life got boring because we can not go outside anytime we want and it's very irritating. But, I understand that this lockdown and community quarantine process will help to decrease the virus ability to transfer and I know that we should do this for our own safety and since I came in LP4Y I didn't have the chance to take care of my baby whole day so for me it's opportunity and I'm glad that I'm with my baby and i had the chance to take care of her As the days had passed, It's very sad to think that we are facing a big problem There's a lot of changes because of the epidemic and it has a big effect on us. It changed our daily living and it became worse to the point that so many workers have to stop their work and it means no money. My family and I are also victims of no work no pay in the Philippines. That's why I'm thankful for the allowance I receive in LP4Y. It's not enough for everything but I'm grateful because it helps us to buy our daily needs. Now we are waiting for the help from the government because if the lockdown takes too long we admit that we badly need the help of the government and we are expecting relief goods because as we have no work during lockdown we can't buy our daily needs for the next next days of this lockdown. News from Leo, STAR of Deco'me Program, Green Village Calauan Hello, I am Leo Avendano Cudog and this is my story. I am 22 years old. I am living with my loving family here in Site 1 Brgy. Dayap Calauan Laguna. I have 2 brothers and 4 sisters and I am the oldest. My mother’s occupation is to be a housewife and my father is a construction worker but he doesn't have work right now due to coronavirus. Indeed, no one who has a job right now. So all of us stay in our house just to avoid the virus and prevent it. We are facing a very dangerous problem and it's CoronaVirus (COVID19). All the residents here are afraid because they don't know what to do because no one has a job and most of them have a lack of food, lack of medicine, lack of money so they are wondering if they are going to survive due to this pandemic coronavirus. But they are still praying to our Almighty God that he will help us and save our world and to cure this kind of very harmful virus in our country. And I pray for all the LP4Y Community that we will help us to provide a good and quality service to all the youths and families who are suffering right now. Thank you LP4Y. News from Melinda Malate, STAR of Deco'me Program, Green Village Calauan Good day, I'm Melinda Malate currently working in Joshua's meat products as store personnel but unfortunately, I had to stay at home because of the coronavirus epidemic. If I continue to work there's a possibility that I would be infected so I decided to take a rest. My family is also affected because of enhanced community quarantine so they don't have work right now. In total, we are 6 people in the family. Our neighborhood and us is just like a little kid dependent or relying on the help of the government who will give us rice, can goods. It is very hard to manage because they want to give us only 2kg of rice and no can. How about the next day? That question always enters our minds. We won't die from the virus but from starvation so we are hoping that some people who open arms are able to help us even in the small things. After I get my savings out I'll make sure it will be our financial support I'll buy essential things that will help us to survive in this kind of situation especially foods, gas, personal hygiene. Thank you LP4Y for helping us.

[English version below] Jeanne Allard, 3ème année de mission (connue et aimée de tous maintenant) en ce moment à Katmandou, Népal, doit ouvrir le premier LPC à Beyrouth, Liban. Bon avant de parler des Jeunes (avec full stars in my eyes), je vais d'abord recentrer la situation sur moi et la crise actuelle. Je m'appelle Jeanne et je suis chez LP4Y depuis août 2017. Et alors voilà, la crise pour moi, ça représente quoi? Alors c'est pas ouf… Clairement, je ne suis pas très forte en gestion des urgences. Je racontais à mes colocs la semaine dernière que je ne savais pas gérer ce genre de situations. ************************* Exemple 1 : il y a de cela quelques années, j'étais chez ma mère et une prise de courant s'est mise à puer le plastique, je vois une mini incandescence, et me voilà courant dans tout l'appartement en criant à ma mère : "MAMAN, IL FAUT QU'ON APPELLE LES POMPIERS, FAUT QU'ON APPELLE LES POMPIERS!!!" devant son regard calme et surpris. Exemple 2 : pour ceux qui ont déjà participé à des Welcome Weeks, vous vous souvenez peut-être du jeu de rôle "un Jeune fait un malaise" => que faîtes-vous ? Bon alors, je me souviens plus si on l'avait fait pendant mes WW (après, ma formation remonte à un certain temps maintenant ^^) mais j'ai vécu la situation en réel dans mon premier centre à Malwani, Mumbai : Amreen perd connaissance, elle a du mal a respiré, on entend un espère de râle très léger qui diminue petit à petit. J'ai l'impression qu'on est en train de la perdre. Et là, au lieu de rassurer l'équipe, d'être calme, je perds le contrôle. Je perds mon contrôle ! Je me mets à tourner autour de la table, incapable de ne rien faire et d'être impuissante, je crie à Mehtab et Faisal d'aller chercher un médecin, je sors, je cours chez Raju pour chercher de l'aide, je trouve tout le monde bien trop lent face à l'urgence de la situation, je me mets à courir dans la rue en criant "help, we need a doctor". Au final, Amreen va très bien et s'est remise de son malaise, mais - vous l'aurez compris - j'ai fait tout ce qu'il ne fallait pas faire. ******************************* Donc voilà, les situations d'urgence ne sont clairement pas mon fort ! J'aimerais bien être plus à l'aise, mais il se passe un truc dans ma tête qui fait que j'ai besoin d'agir pour ne pas avoir l'impression d'être impuissante (ce qui nous arrive pourtant forcément à certains moments de nos vies) et que je perds mon calme. Du coup, le corona virus => situation d'urgence, bha c'est pas quelque chose que je gère très bien. En plus pour moi au début, ça a été pour moi : "Corona = annulation/report de l'ouverture du Liban = pas de coaching de Jeunes proche" (je précise que j'avais pas encore compris l'ampleur de la crise…ça m'arrive d'être un peu lente) Donc quand j'ai appris que la mission Liban était reportée, j'étais en larmes, j'ai passé quelques heures à pleurer, et à rire aussi parfois, en me disant que j'étais bien ridicule de pleurer comme ça. Et quand j'y repense, pourquoi j'ai pleuré ? Tout simplement parce que mes plans étaient contrecarrés. Moi je voulais faire mon ouverture au Liban avec une nouvelle équipe qui avait l'air au top, et lancer une équipe de Jeunes, les accompagner et les voir grandir. Et puis… bha non ! En gros, grosse poussée d'égoïsme sur le moment. J'en suis consciente et je n'en suis pas fière. Mais c'était ma manière de réagir à la situation sur le coup, et j'étais contrariée de pas pouvoir faire comme je l'avais prévu, de devoir gérer une situation pleine d'incertitude. Et alors comment je la vis cette crise maintenant ? Eh bien un peu mieux ! Alors, comme chacun d'entre nous, je suis inquiète pour mes proches et dans ma tête, je ressemble toujours à un petit oiseau qui sautille de tous les côtés en mode "Que faire ? Que faire ?", mais j'ai une coloc en mode "bâteau qui fend les eaux en pleine tempête" donc ça rassure (merci Pauline !). Et surtout, j'ai pensé aux Jeunes et je croie que c'est une bonne occasion pour m'en inspirer (encore et toujours). Pourquoi les Jeunes ? Eh bien en y réfléchissant un peu, je me suis rendue compte que ce qui me rend mal à l'aise dans cette situation, c'est le manque de contrôle. Le fait que je ne sais pas, que je ne maîtrise pas. Cette incertitude. Or quand je pense aux Jeunes, je me dis que c'est une situation qu'ils vivent en fait quotidiennement : "Je ne sais pas si on va me faire confiance un jour et si je vais trouver un boulot" "Je ne sais pas si je vais trouver de l'argent pour faire manger mon enfant ce soir" "Je ne sais pas si je vais avoir assez d'argent pour inscrire mon enfant à l'école lors des prochaines inscriptions" "Je ne sais pas si je pourrais me racheter une bouteille de gaz quand celle-ci sera finie" Et ils sont toujours debout. Ils se battent, comme ils peuvent et avec les moyens qu'ils ont, mais ils se battent. C'est sûrement un champ de bataille à l'intérieure (malgré mes 2 ans et demi au sein de LP4Y, je ne suis toujours pas capable d'imaginer ce qu'ils ont traversé), mais ils sont là. Chaque jour est une crise pour eux. Donc s'ils sont les preuves que c'est possible, je me dis que je vais essayer de faire comme eux. Faire avec et faire au mieux. Et il y a deux jours, je me suis aussi rendue compte qu'en fait, les Jeunes Mamans que je voyais ici au Népal, c'était pas leur première grosse catastrophe. Retour en arrière : 2015 : tremblement de terre au Népal. C'était il y a 5 ans. Et Srijana, Manika, Kushum et les autres Jeunes, elles ont 20 ans. Du coup, oui, elles ont vécu le tremblement de terre, et elle ont vécu l'après. En en parlant avec Valentine, coach à Katmandou, elle me raconte ce que lui conté les Jeunes sur cette période difficile : pas de nourriture, la faim, les prix qui augmentent (celui du gaz comme ceux des aliments), des nouilles instantanées qui sont passés d'un prix de 10 roupies le paquet à 100 roupies, etc. Bref, je suis bouche bée et pour moi ce sont des mots. J'essaie de me faire une film dans ma tête de ce à quoi ça a pu ressembler, mais ça reste un film de 10 secondes sans sensations. Les Jeunes, elle ont vécu tout ça, elles ont persévéré, et elles sont encore là, avec leurs sourires, leurs espoirs. Donc on va essayer de faire pareil. Bref, un grand merci à elles pour cette leçon. So, before talking about the Youth (with full stars in my eyes), I will focus on me and the ongoing crisis, that we are all living. My name is Jeanne and I am at LP4Y since August 2017. And so what is it the crisis for me ? Well, it is not something good…. Honestly, I am not that good in term of crisis management. I was telling my roommates last week that I was unable to handle this kind of situation. ************************* Example 1 : some years ago, I was at my Mum's house. I smelt an electric plug burning and saw a tiny spark, and here I was, running all across the apartment, shouting to my mother : "MUM, WE NEED TO CALL THE FIREMEN, WE NEED TO CALL THE FIREMEN!!!", while she was peacefully staring at me. Example 2 : for those who already took part to Welcome Weeks, you might remember of a role play : "a Youth faints" => what do you do ? Humm, I cannot remember if we did it during my WW (but mine were a while ago ^^) but I live this case live in my first LP4Y home in Malwani, Mumbai : Amreen faints, she does not breath easily, we can hear a very light wheeze, which shrinks slowly. I have the impression that we are losing her. And at that moment, instead of being a model of self control, I lose the control. I lose my control ! I begin walking around the table, unable to stay inactive and powerless, I shout to Mehtab and Faisal to go and get a doctor, I go out, I run to Raju's shop to find some help, I found everyone very very very slow in this emergency situation, I begin running in the street shouting "help, we need a doctor". For the record, Amreen is now very fine, but - I think you got it - I did everything wrong. ******************************* So yes, emergency situation / crisis management is not my cup of tea ! I would love to be more at ease and more quiet, but something happens in my head, which makes me move, makes me feel I need to act not to be powerless (even if this occurs at some points in your life) and that I am not quiet anymore. And in addition, in the beginning, for me it was : "Corona = report of Lebanon opening = no coaching in a close future" (for the record, I had not understood how big this crisis was at that point… yes I can be a bit slow) So when I heard my mission in Lebanon was postponed, I burst into tears, and I spent quite a while crying, and laughing also sometimes, because I found myself ridiculous to cry like that. And when I think about it, why was I crying ? Simply because I could not go through with my plans. I wanted to do my opening of Lebanon with a team that seemed great, launch a team of Youth in Beirut, support them and see them grow. Simple, right? And : nope ! In a nutself, I was being soooo selfish. I am aware of it and I am not proud of it. But it was my way of dealing with the situation, and I was upset not to be able to go through with my plans, and that I had to deal a situation full of uncertainty. And what about now ? Euh, it is a bit better ! So, as every one of us, I am worried for my family and friends, and in my head, I look like a little bird who is jumping up and down thinking "What can I do? What can I do ?", but I have a roommate looking more like a "ship going straight into the ocean in the middle of a storm" so it makes it easier (thanks Pauline !). And also, I thought about the Youth and I think now is the moment to get inspiration from them (but as usual in fact). So why the Youth ? Well, thinking about it, I realized that what made me not at ease here, was lack of control. The fact that I don't know. This state of uncertainty. But when I think about the Youth, they face this kind of situation every day : "I don't know if someone will trust me one day and if I will have a job" "I don't know if I will find enough money so my child can eat tonight" "I don't know if I will have enough money that my child can go to school next year" "I don't know if I can afford to buy another bottle of gaz when this one is finished" And they are still standing. They are fighting, as they can and with what they have, but they are fighting. It might be a battle field inside (despite my 2 years and a half with LP4Y, I am still unable to picture what they went through), but they are here. Every day is a crisis for them. So if they are the proof that it is possible, I figure I will try to do like them. Do what I can and do my best. And 2 days ago, I also realized that for the Young mothers that I was meeting in Nepal, it was not the first crisis of that kind. Ok, let's go back a bit : 2015 : big earthquake in Nepal. 5 years ago. And Srijana, Manika, Kushum and the other Youth, they are around 20 years old. So yes, they lived the earthquake and the after. Speaking about it with Valentine, she told me what the Youth told her about this difficult time : no food, hunger, prices rose (for gaz as well as for food), ready made noodles prices increased from 10 to 100 roupies, etc. In a nutshell, I am speechless, and it remains only words for me. I am trying to picture it in my head, but - once again - it is only a 10-second film without any sensation. The Youth, they lived through that, they fought, and they are here, with their smiles and their hopes. So I'll try to do the same. Thank you to them to be so inspiring.

[English version below] Rachel, Alliance Coordinator J’ai des difficultés à dormir d’ordinaire, alors évidemment en ces temps extraordinaires mes problèmes de sommeil ne sont pas allés en s’améliorant. Samedi 21 mars, je me suis réveillée vers 3 heures du matin, l’heure préférée de mon insomnie. Comme d’habitude j’ai attrapé mon téléphone - qui lui ne dort jamais. L’écran affichait un message de mon père envoyé quelques minutes plus tôt : « On s’appelle dès demain matin, tôt pour toi. La situation s’accélère. Même maintenant si tu peux ! Bises. Dad ». Evidemment j’ai pris peur, j’ai pensé qu’il s’était passé quelque chose à la maison, je voyais déjà ma mère en insuffisance respiratoire errant dans un couloir blanc-cassé, à la recherche d’un lit qui pourrait l’accueillir. La seconde suivante j’appelais mon père. Il allait très bien, maman aussi. Seulement il avait vu aux informations que les aéroports étaient en train de fermer en Inde. Il était en plein délire de persécution : en tant qu’occidentale, en tant que « blanche », j’allais être la cible d’indiens en furie qui voudraient m’étrangler, par désespoir, par peur, par rejet. J’allais être coincée dans un pays qui n’aurait pas les moyens de me soigner si cela était nécessaire. J’allais être confrontée à une situation atroce, où dans les bidonvilles, il y aurait des centaines de malades, et puis des gens qui n’auraient plus accès à l’eau potable, à la nourriture, qui allaient devenir fous ! Il me demandait de l’appeler alors que c’était le milieu de la nuit pour me dire ça ??? J’ai été ferme. Bien sûr, pas question de rentrer. Ce serait insensé à tous niveaux : au niveau sanitaire global puisque la consigne est de rester confiné ; au niveau personnel, puisque ce satané virus je risquais 10 fois plus de l’attraper en courant après un avion ; mais surtout ce serait insensé moralement : fuir maintenant une mission, mes collègues/amies, et surtout les Jeunes alors même qu’il nous fallait avancer, plus que jamais, d’un seul et même pas ? Et puis quoi ? Je n’étais vraiment pas mal en point en Inde. Il est certain que la côte de popularité de la couleur blanche est en baisse ces derniers temps mais on continue à entretenir de bonnes relations avec nos voisins et à rigoler avec le marchand de légumes. La seule différence à présent c’est qu’on essaie plus de marchander quoi que ce soit - ce serait vraiment indécent… Et puis un Centre avec un Rooftop sur lequel pouvoir faire les 100 pas lorsque le cerveau surchauffe, ce n’est pas un endroit si mauvais pour rester confiné. Comme dirait ma tante, qui, si elle se trouve physiquement dans son studio du 16eme à Paris, en réalité vit sur une autre planète : « Il n’y a rien de plus smart que ce confinement en Inde ». Bref pour en revenir à mon père, j’ai conclu sèchement « maintenant j’aimerai aller dormir. On se parle demain. » Je les comprends mes parents. Et les vôtres aussi sans doute. Ils n’ont jamais eu aussi peur pour nous. C’est bien le signe de la parenté, d’être soucieux : chaque seconde dans sa chair se sentir inquiet pour cet autre être qu’on appelle son enfant. Mais alors en ce moment, c’est du souci ++ qu’ils se font, ça leur donne la migraine. Le lendemain ma mère m’envoyait un article d’une auteure italienne parue dans Libération, en me disant qu’elle n’avait pu rester insensible à une phrase en particulier, « Vous manqueront comme jamais vos enfants adultes, et vous recevrez comme un coup de poing dans l’estomac la pensée que, pour la première fois depuis qu’ils ont quitté la maison, vous n’avez aucune idée de quand vous les reverrez. ». Evidemment. C’est alors que ça m’a sauté aux yeux : j’étais adulte ! En réalité je l’étais peut-être depuis longtemps mais c’était la première fois que j’en prenais pleinement conscience. La preuve en était là, devant moi : j’avais des responsabilités à prendre et ces responsabilités je les connaissais mieux que mon propre père. Le lendemain j’ai fait un appel vidéo avec mes parents. Ca nous a fait beaucoup de bien à tous les trois. Avec tout le travail que j’ai en ce moment, j’ai du mal à dégager du temps pour échanger avec mes proches. On s’est parlé calmement, mon père était sorti de la crise. J’ai repris tout ce que j’avais abordé avec lui la veille, je leur ai exposé les faits et aussi les actions que l’on parvenait à mettre en place pour les Jeunes. Et surtout l’importance que revêtait aujourd’hui notre présence auprès d’eux. Ça les a rassuré de me voir assurée, au clair avec moi-même et avec ce que j’avais à faire. Ma mère m’a envoyé un message après coup « Mon trésor merci mille fois pour cette conversation tout à l’heure, j’étais très émue et impressionnée par ta sagesse, la justesse de tes propos et ta douceur… je suis si fière de toi et tu me fais tant de bien ! Je t’aime tant… ». J’ai pleuré en lisant son message, mes premières larmes depuis longtemps. J’étais peut-être adulte mais je n’avais jamais eu autant envie de me blottir dans ses bras. C’est normal qu’on craque, qu’on ait peur, c’est normal qu’on s’inquiète pour nos proches, et qu’ils s’inquiètent pour nous. Mais finalement, il faut simplement qu’on continue à se dresser sur nos deux pieds, c’est encore le meilleur moyen de ne pas tomber ! Le jeudi suivant je recevais un autre message de mon père – mon père qui utilise tellement de petits noms affectueux en ce moment, il m’appelle « ma chérie », « ma princesse », ça me fait sourire, ce n’est vraiment pas son genre d’habitude : « Bonjour ma chérie, Difficile en ce moment de savoir ce que je ressens, entre tourments, inquiétude et confiance en la vie. Je n’aurais su imaginer il y a encore quelques semaines vivre une telle situation. Comme un film mais c’est la réalité qui nous laisse incrédules. Et comment imaginer la façon dont nous individuellement et collectivement sortir d’un tel scénario. Si tu l’avais écris et me l’avais soumis, je t’aurais certainement mis en garde contre ses invraisemblances ! Pour répondre plus simplement, je crois que je vais bien et je m’efforce de rester dans cet état. Je t’embrasse et je t’aime » Alors à tous je voudrais vous laisser le même conseil que mon papa, parce qu’en fin de compte, une fois sorti de la psychose, et les émotions décantées, on observe que oui on va bien et que la seule chose à faire c’est de s’efforcer de rester dans cet état. Et d’aider au maximum ceux qui nous entourent à faire de même. Laissez-les simplement vous dire qu’ils vous aiment, car c’est bien de cela qu’il s’agit, d’amour, corona ou pas corona ! Ordinarily I have some trouble sleeping, then, of course, in these extraordinary times my sleep disorders didn’t get any better. On Saturday the 21st of march, I woke up around 3am, my insomnia’s favorite hour. As usual I grabbed my phone - which never sleeps. The screen displayed a message from my father sent a few minutes earlier : “We call each other first thing in the morning tomorrow, early for you. The situation is escalating. Even now if you can! Kisses. Dad.” Obviously I got scared, I thought something had happened at home, I could already see my mother in respiratory failure wandering through an off-white corridor, looking for a bed that could accommodate her. He was doing well, and so was my mom. But he had seen in the news that airports were closing in India. He was in the midst of a delirium : as a Westerner, as a "white person", I was going to be the target of furious Indians who wanted to strangle me, out of desperation, out of fear, out of rejection. I was going to be stuck in a country that couldn't afford to treat me if it was necessary. I was going to be faced with an atrocious situation, where in the slums there would be hundreds of sick people, and then people who would no longer have access to clean water, to food, who would go mad! He was asking me to call him in the middle of the night to tell me that ??? I’ve been firm. Of course, no way I’ll come back. It would make no sense at all : first at a global sanitary level, since the instruction is to remain confined; on a personal level, since I am more likely to catch the damn virus by running after a plane; but, above all, it would be morally senseless : running away now from my mission, my colleagues/friends, and especially the Youths, when we had to move forward, more than ever, in one and the same step? And then what? I wasn’t in bad shape in India. No doubt that the popularity rating of the white color is decreasing lately but we still have good relations with our neighbors and laugh with the vegetables’ grocer. The only difference now is we don’t bargain anymore - it would be indecent… And a center with a rooftop on which we can pace when the brain overheats, it’s not such a bad place to stay in containment. As would say my aunt, who, if she stands physically in her apartment in the 16th arrondissement of Paris, actually lives on another planet : “There is nothing as “smart” as this containment in India. “ To come back to my father, I crisply concluded “now, I would like to go to bed. We’ll talk tomorrow.” I understand my parents. And I'm sure yours do, too. They never have been so worried for us. It's a sign of kinship,to be concerned : every second in your flesh to feel worried for this other being called your child. So, at this time, this is a huge concern they’re living with, which causes them headaches. The next day, my mom was sending me an article, by an italian author, published in Libération, saying to me she couldn't remain indifferent especially to one sentence, ‘Will be missed as never your grown-up children, and you’ll receive as a punch in your stomach the thought that, for the first time since they left home, you don’t have any idea when you’ll see them again.” Naturally. That’s when it jumped out at me : I was an adult! In reality maybe I was for a longer time but it was the first time I became fully aware of it. The proof was here, in front of me : I had some responsibilities to take and I knew these responsibilities better than my dad. The following day we had a video call with my parents. It benefited a lot of the three of us. With all the work I have at the moment, I struggle to free some time to connect with my relatives. We talked to each other peacefully, my father was out of his crisis. I took up everything I had discussed with him the day before, I explained to them the facts and also the actions that we were able to put in place for Youths. I exposed the facts to them and also the actions we were establishing for the Youths. And most of all, the importance of being near them. It reassured them to see me reassured, clear with myself and what I had to do. My mother sent me a message afterward, “my sweetheart thank you about a thousand times for this conversation, I was very touched and impressed by your wisdom, the pertinence of your words and your gentleness… I am so proud of you and you make me feel so good! I love you so much…”. I cried reading her message, my first tears since in a long time. Maybe I was an adult but I had never desired so much to snuggle into her arms. It's normal to break down, we feel scared, we are worried for our loved ones, and they worry for us. But finally, it needs to continue to stand up on our both feet, it is still the best way to not fall down! The next thursday I received another message from my father - my father who uses so many affectionate nicknames currently, he calls me “my darling”, “my princess”, it makes me smile, it’s not really his type usually : “Hello my darling, Hard to know at the moment how I fell, between torments, concerns and faith in life.I couldn't have imagined just a few weeks ago that I would be in such a situation. It's like a film, but it's the reality that leaves us incredulous. And how to imagine the way we can individually and collectively go out of this scenario. If you had written it and have given it to me, I would have certainly told you about his implausibilities! To answer in an easier way, I think I’m feeling good and I’m trying to stay in this state. I kiss you and I love you. “ So to all of you I would like to leave you the same advice as my dad, because in the end, once out of the psychosis, and the emotions have settled down, we observe that yes we are fine and that the only thing to do is to try to stay in this state. And to help as much as possible those around us to do the same. Just let them tell you that they love you, because that's what it's all about, love, corona or no corona!

Rakhi Sardar, Star of R.I.D.E program, Hossenpur, India My name is Rakhi Sardar, I’m 22 years old and I come from China Mandir in Kolkata. I live with my mother and my brother. My mum has a shop, and my brother is working in the car showroom. Before LP4Y, I was staying at home with my mum. I left my Education in March in 2018 because of a family problem. Then, in October 2018, I joined the LP4Y program at 21 years old and I finished it in July in 2019. I heard about LP4Y from my friend. She convinced me to join LP4Y, she told me that they can help me to find a job and I always wanted to have a job because I want to be independent. My experience in LP4Y program was to be part of the in R.I.D.E team in finance and marketing department. After joined LP4Y, I changed myself a lot! Before I did not have ​self-confidence​, I was ​very shy and when I ​talked to people, I get nervous. Also, I did not know how to use a ​computer. Now, with LP4Y I gained a lot of confidence. For example, I had to go School and I had to talk to the principal of a school to explain the games of R.I.D.E program I did it so ​I can be proud of myself. As you can see, today I can talk about my life so I’m not shy anymore. Now I’m working as a receptionist in Interdominion from September 2019. I use the computer and send emails everyday. My dream job is to work in a ​bank as an accountant. Receptionist is not my Dream job. It can help me to reach my dream job. With my current Job I will earn and save some money that which allow me to fulfil my dream. For the next 5 years I want to fulfil my dream job, becoming an account in a bank. For that I have to work hard, And in LP4Y I learn that everything is possible in our life if we have the intention to get our dream job. Finally I want to say that I was very lucky to be part of LP4Y program and get the support, guidance and motivation from LP4Y team. They taught me how to achieve my goals and how to start my professional path. Before, I thought that I could not reach my goals, but LP4Y always support me and kept me going, so I want to thank you for your help to reach my potential. Thank you.

Giang Thi Sua, Management Step, Bread & Smiles program, LPC Ngọc Hà Hi everyone, my name is Giang Thi Sua and I am 18 years old. I come from Mu Cang Chai district, Yen Bai province. I’m currently in Management Step at LP4Y. When I was about to finish my studies in high school, I didn’t know what major I should study and what to do next because I’m very timid and not confident of myself. One day, some members of LP4Y came to my school to enroll new Youths and I was so impressed with their English speaking skill, their friendliness as well as their confidence that I decided to join the course and to challenge myself. After 7 months in LP4Y, I become more confident and know how to be professional at work. I can also learn English, computer skills, baking, and many other things. Especially, I have a chance to work and communicate with the coaches here. I feel very happy and satisfied with my decision.

By Camille Bru - GV leader Myanmar The last two weeks of February have been intense with the Welcome Weeks in Raipur, new encounters, new experiences, many ideas exchanged, a lot of fun, spicy food and great memories. I am now ready for my mission in Myanmar, the smile on my face is broad! It’s Sunday, midnight, I’m ready to leave India. Monday is a day off in the LPC, my new housemates Chloé, Bérénice, Claire, Pol, Lilas and I head to the centre of Yangon for a first taste of the local atmosphere. Shwedagon Pagoda is the most famous landmark of Myanmar, the largest Pagoda of the country (and maybe of the World, who knows!). We spot it from far, and as we walk closer, it captures our attention. To reach the platform where it stands, tall and proud, one needs to climb some pretty impressive stairs. Take your shoes off and the journey begins. As you reach the top, you can finally grasp the magic of the place. The sun reflecting on the golden bell shaped Pagoda, the many temples surrounding it, all the Buddhas watching you, the details in the architecture, the colors from the traditional Longhi… what a mesmerizing sight. People follow unique and mysterious rituals! They bathe Buddha statues, light candles, leave flowers, pray in front of a tree, take selfies, all in a peaceful and quiet atmosphere. We hear a guide say: “The sunset just gives a holy feel to the temple, you should wait if you have time!”. We took the time and were not disappointed! Our weeks are busy and exciting, learning about the Youths, the local culture, meeting partners and NGOs. They just go in a blink! But as we still need to feed ourselves, I started developing a passion for markets… It’s not new, but it’s getting worse! I can’t get enough of the colors, the smells, the smiles, the tastes… We go at least twice a week to our neighborhood market and we’re already friends with the ladies that sell us the fruits and vegetables. After each Burmese lesson, I try to practice with them or any kid on the street! They laugh at my terrible accent, but they love it!! Because even though we don’t understand each other, we all smile in the same language!! They enjoy correcting me and trying to understand my funny words! It’s such a special and powerful moment for me, it warms my heart! I love seeing their stalls, so vibrant and multicolored, full of unknown varieties of fruits and vegetables (the seed lover in me is starting a new collection!). Some vendors sit directly on the ground, others have more elaborate stalls, they all chit-chat and laugh, the Thanaka on their faces gives them a sweet, almost childish look. As you walk through the market, you’ll meet the butchers, and fishmongers next to the florists, in the middle of the fruits and veggies, among which some fabric, clothes or underwear stalls… a happy art piece made of light, textures and fragrances! During the last weeks, Covid-19 has begun to change the outlines of our missions and it has also changed our interactions with people. We practice social distancing as much as possible (especially difficult when going to the market!), and stay in the centre most of the time. I’m glad I got to enjoy a glimpse of this exquisite country and fascinating people. I will be looking forward to being released and to discover more!

In the LPC Go Vap (North Saigon) in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, Huy, Dat and Han from the program Bread & Smiles are well aware of the danger of Corona Virus. They share with us the best practices to avoid his expansion. With humour and sign language of course! Han Tuong Ong, 18 years old, Management Step Dat Tien Nguyen, 19 years old, Management Step Huy Anh Vu, 17 years old, Autonomy Step

Coach Laura challenges the Youths of the LPC Howrah, asking them to draw their Center/MEI. Sudipta Santra 19 years old, Responsibility Step Hello my name is Sudipta Santra, I am in Responsability step in Howrah Program 2, in LPC Howrah. This hat is usually used by the builder staff,so our center will be renovated with their help and we will renovate it also and have the same ones ! We are about to renovate this center now our center is in a situation like this, and I draw houses because it will be like it for us and it describe our center for me. And I draw 3 big building because we all hope we can transform our center into a building, into something big and modern. Farha Naz 20 years old, Responsibility Step My name is Farha Naz. I am 19 year old. I live in New Busti Luchi Bangan Howrah 9. My education level is 10pass. I have 6members in my family. My hobby is cooking. My target job is to be a banker and my dream job teacher. For me the bowl represents the earth and the land that belong to everybody. Everybody is the 3 characters on the top. The star represents the sky and hope. This is like the center, that belongs to every LP4Y Howrah youth and give hope. Mehek Afrine 19 years old, Autonomy Step Hello my name is Mehek Afrine, I am a member of Howrah Program 1 in LPC Howrah. This is about my drawing challenge. it's a construction building logo. It is showing a building where work is still going on. The front crank shows that construction work is on the way. This is about our center where the renovation will soon started and we will have a new one! The reason why I did this drawing challenge is that these days it can help us a lot to create new ideas and and to do something new like the building. Thank you coach to give this challenge. Gulnaz Khatoon 20 years old, Responsibility Step Hello my name is Gulnaz Khatoon, I am a member of Howrah Program 2 in LPC Howrah, I am in Responsibility step. Good life solution drawing explanation is that solution to life, as you all know, not come easily. If we go somewhere for a job, we don't necessarily get the because we do not speak English for example or we do not behave professionally. In this LP4Y center this is where our lives will find solution. Barnali Singha 17 years old, Autonomy Step Hello, my name is Barnali Singha, I am in Automony Step in LPC Howrah from Howrah Program 2. This drawing is a very common one… That is why it is difficult for me to describe it… This is our center. Everything I wrote in my mind… I just follow with my pen to express it because I don’t know the words to tell. Every time I am thinking or drawing, it goes to LP4Y. Thanks to all of LP4Y team & all coaches.🙏🙏 Special thanks for to my favorite coach Laura coach for guiding me & helping me always! Jannat Naskar 18 years old, Management Step Hello, my name is Jannat Naskar, I am a youth from Howrah LPC in Howrah Program 2, I am in management step. I have used these colors yellow, black and brown because yellow is showing the innovation and creativity, brown is showing the strength and black is showing the seriousness. Now our MEI is based on building and renovation that's why I give the name building and renovation or B&R.

Sunny Kumar Shaw, 20 years old, Management Step, LPC Howrah, Kolkata, India Working in the family grocery shop on Andul Road, Howrah. Hello everybody, My name is Sunny Kumar Shaw. I am in Management Step in Howrah Program 1. My father's name is Mithilesh Shaw. My mother's name is Ruby Shaw. I have five family members. I live in Howrah Bakultala-9. My education level is 12th pass. 9 months ago I worked only in my shop. The shop was my best friend. Because without my work in this shop my education as “professional experience” is not complete, according to me. My father, my mother and my brother supported me. When I was going to school, my mother and my brother were taking care of the shop. Then, on the way back home from school, I was buying goods for the shop. However, I was pressured to quit studies when I passed12th. After leaving my studies then I started working in my shop. But I didn't feel good. At the same time, my best friend Rohit told me about LP4Y. Then I told my Mom and Dad that for free in LP4Y I could attend English training, computer training and improve my professional behavior. But even at that time my mother and father refused. Then I spoke to Rohit and he told me the timing. He said that the class would run from 9:00 am to 11:am (it was the beginning of the Howrah program) but still, my parents were refusing. But I insisted since I knew I would learn something new. I finally convinced them and I managed to work in my shop before and after LP4Y. In the beginning, we learned How to introduce ourselves and English grammar and also How to mobilize people to join the team. After these 2 hours, l used to work in the shop. But our coaches said that this will shift to 4hours per day. That was not possible for me. Then I stopped going to the center for a few days. Rohit was told that training is getting very good during these 4 hours. I therefore started to explain again to my parents that it was good for me. After convincing them, I reorganized all my life: At 7:00 am I used to open my shop, then used to go to the Center at 9:00. At that time from 9:00 to 11:00, my mother used to manage the shop. From 11:00 to 1:00 my younger brother was taking care of customers. Then I used to come and maintain my shop. As expected, our coaches said the training will be from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm. Which was not possible for me. Still, I tried. Because I saw the improvement that happened in my life in a short amount of time. And I continued. During these 9 months, the biggest job I did was managing my time. If you know how to maintain your time then you can move forward a lot in your life. Also, the training and pedagogy have been so diverse during my 9 months training: we also learned to make society aware, on world clean day we cleaned our city for example, we gave important roles to girls in LP4Y and made sure they are respected. Today we are making our society aware, to protect everyone from the COVID-19. We have displayed guidelines in Hindi and Bengali on our shop front window to be aware of hygiene measures to adopt. Thank you.

Suraj Shaw, 21 years old, Management Step, LPC Howrah, Kolkata, India - Toto Driver Situation in Howrah, Andul Road (main road where the center is located) "My name is Suraj Shaw, a Youth from Howrah LPC (Life project center). I am in Howrah Program 2 .I am Production team Coordinator and my part time job is Driving Toto. Last week on Wednesday 19th March, the situation was that the number of people on Andul Road wearing masks was about 20-25%. All the schools, ,colleges, universities even the office ,factories were closed because of this coronavirus. The population on Andul Road was becoming less and less, and now after the Government announced the lockdown, streets are empty and I stop my activity completely. Most of the people were buying Sanitizers in the shop, this is why now there is scarcity and prices are very high (from 20 to 110rs for one little sanitizer). As a toto driver I face a lot of problems because transportation stopped so I can't drive toto . But people have to stay home to save lives." Sushil Thakur, 18 years old, Management Step, LPC Howrah, Kolkata, India How to upgrade myself during this lockdown ? Hello Everybody, my name is Sushil Thakur from LP4Y. I am in Management Step. These days, all the countries are facing CoronaVirus (Covid-19). All schools, malls, markets, colleges, transports and also LP4Y are closed. I am feeling very sad for this lockdown due to Coronavirus. I Stay at home. I can see that all the things in the world stopped. These days I feel my home is like a jail. Not able to meet friends. No possible to talk to others. I can say that we are all responsible for this type of situation. If everybody in this world just at least thinks about our environment and also our earth. Then we will survive on this earth. If every only 5 minutes, we take initiatives to change this world in the subject of Environment, Earth, and Health we can. Because #Togetherwecan 👍 Please don’t waste your time these days, because sometimes we wait for the holidays to upgrade ourselves. It can be a good time to develop yourself. During this time, I stay at home and learn a lot of things. I introspect myself, creating my LinkedIn account to develop my professional network, read books from inspirational people and work on my start-up idea. So wash your hands, stay at home and use your time wisely. Thank you and take care.

This is a call for all the artists, the photographers, the geeks, the nerds, the catalysts, the youths, the stars, whoever you are… It’s time to show us your talent… Ready, set, go! The best photos will be showcased in the Newsletter! Download 1 photo per person that is representative of the theme of the week. Please rename your photo as follows - choose a short descriptive title Rename your photo: [FIRST-LASTNames-Title] Send it to lp4ystories@lp4y.org Looking forward to seeing all your images! Theme #1: Life through my window!

By Théo, Coach of Hear us Cafe, Cagayan de Oro, Philippines Meet my Co-Catalyst Sixtine ! She will tell you everything about her life during confinment! See the interview of Romain, coach of Source Of Life Program in Jakarta, Indonesia >>here