Which story would you like to read? 

Tasmiya grew up in DJ Halli, one of the biggest slums in Bangalore. Member of a family of 3 people (grandmother, mother and brother), she has a keen interest in computers and loves learning new formulas on Excel. Tasmiya joined LP4Y 6 months ago with the hope to find a job that would help her support her family. Her long-term goal: study to become a doctor. But first, she needs to pass the NEET exam and get admission in college. In the meantime, she does not want to stay at home all day: her family has small resources and she wishes to support them financially to the best of her capacities. During her LP4Y training, she discovered Excel, a software that she enjoyed using so much that she decided to work as a Data Entry Operator for a company. In the recording, Tasmiya explains how she proceeds to look for a job. She shares her hope to find a position that would enable her to use her brand new computer skills. By the time this story was published, things changed for her. Right after recording her story, Tasmiya found a job as Data Entry Operator at The South India Waterproofing Company. Goal number one: achieved! Watch the video to learn more about Tasmiya, her ambitions and her job search.

Does an organization achieve its goals by acting alone? The answer would be a big 'No'. Over 4 years of experience, LP4Y Nepal has grown a lot, mostly thanks to the collaboration and coordination with external partners. In 2022, 73 million young people were unemployed globally. A progress compared to 2021, when 75 million Youth were deprived of decent job market accessibility. Seeing the global picture, Youth unemployment is one of the major problems in any developing or underdeveloped country (ILO, 2022). In the context of Nepal, the statistics show that over the past years, the unemployment rate has been declining (20.6% in 2022). To this date, however, the student population (aged 18–24) has not been counted as unemployed or economically inactive, even though they are actively searching for decent jobs (Neill, 2023). Now, let's think about inclusion. What image comes to mind when you think of an inclusive and sustainable society? An inclusive and harmonious society is one where there is equal and equitable access to job opportunities, regardless of someone’s background. Addressing this, LP4Y is taking action each and every day to integrate excluded Youth, and so far it has been successful. Its partners and the overall ecosystem are equally supporting LP4Y: local bodies, companies, institutions, organizations, and individual partners are all in the loop to address exclusion issues. LP4Y Nepal counts 100+ active partners. On a semester basis, each partner runs about 9 to 10 activities such as mock interviews, company visits, and training to uplift LP4Y Youth. But questions still arise: are two projects (the Green Village and the Training and Development Center) enough to build an inclusive society? Is only LP4Y Team benefiting from LP4Y success? Of course, the answer is 'No'. While government bodies might agree that Nepalese society would benefit from a better-trained young workforce, the lack of resources, research, planning, and policies makes it challenging to create an environment in favour of the inclusion of marginalized Youth. In this context, LP4Y Nepal firmly believes in a strong Youth Inclusion Coalition to tip the scales and tackle these challenges. This is the reason why LP4Y Nepal started collaborating with local bodies such as Terai region municipalities for mobilization purposes and another on the mobilization pillar to launch a hybrid project in Lalitpur Metropolitan City. The impact of this coalition has already started to ripple as we can see various entities throughout the entire country coming together to build an inclusive society. LP4Y Nepal is expanding its horizons, changing the scale, challenging the status quo, and impacting the city and rurally excluded Youth. Many thirsty, excluded women from the Eastern, Central, and Western regions with traumatic or difficult backgrounds arrive in LP4Y’s centers. There, they unleash their potential to the utmost level during the training and eventually integrate the decent job market. To enable the sustainable integration of young people living in extreme poverty and victims of exclusion, each stakeholder has a role to play: Civil Society Organizations can refer Youth to LP4Y training centers, enabling them to receive job market knowledge and skill development training. Thanks to its professional training, LP4Y supports the Youth to hone their skills, facilitating interactions with corporate and individual professionals who can share their expertise with them. Companies who believe in the Youth potential can then recruit them for jobs and benefit from a very resilient workforce. And there are many! From the hospitality sector, we can name Hyatt Group (Hyatt regency and place), integrating Youth through its Global Rise-hy Program. From the corporate sector, OSB VEGETABLES & FRUITS SUPPLIERS, Easy FRUITS PVT LTD, and ORCHIDS Group are actively collaborating with LP4Y Nepal as well. It is only through this collective effort that many more Youth will integrate the job market. Alongside the integration partners, other organizations like PROJECT UDDESHYA, BATAS FOUNDATION, PAHAN CHHEN, VERITACORE NEPAL PVT LTD, CAREER COACH NEPAL, UTPALA CRAFT, BHUVANESHWORI SATYAL FOUNDATION and SRIJANSHIL ORPHANAGE HOME are always keen to organize professional exposure activities and Micro-company trainings. Their involvement is essential to broaden Youth’s exposure to as many professional situations as possible and make them ready to integrate the job market. This coalescent tale depicts how a meaningful coalition can succeed in integrating excluded Youth to the decent job market, but it is just a glimpse of all the activities and practices that can be implemented for a better Youth Inclusion. For instance, hosting Youth Inclusion Network (YIN) and Youth 4 Change Network (Y4CN) events enable the country to address Youth challenges, warn partners about the related issues, and find solutions together. World Clean Up Day, Women’s Day, and Youth International Day are as many opportunities to host awareness events, inviting marginalized young people to sit at the table, and to offer their solutions to national problems. And what about sponsoring a national-level Youth conference? Here is your invitation to collaborate with LP4Y. The Youth and Catalysts are ready to build a more inclusive world. What about you? Manisha Chapagain - Ecosystem Developer, Training and Development Center Kathmandu, Nepal

My name is M. Margaret. I am 22 years old. I was born on April 25, 2001, in Chennai city, Tamil Nadu, where I grew up. I have a younger brother. We live with our parents. My parents' names are Mariyadass and Metilda Mary. They have both been working since the ages of 13 and 15 respectively. My father is working as a watchman in a residential apartment and my mother is working as a domestic worker. My brother has a Diploma in Electrical Engineering programme but he is currently jobless. Even after doing a one-year apprenticeship at Chennai airport, it is tough for him to find a job. I completed my schooling through a scholarship in Chennai. For my brother’s and my higher education, my parents had to borrow money from others to pay the tuition fee. Afterward, they struggled a lot to repay that money. I am the first person to graduate from my family. I am a B.SC.,B.ED graduate, a 4 year integrated course that enables one to become a teacher in maths and sciences in school. But places are limited and at the end of my course, I didn’t get a job. Giving her family a better life During my childhood, we lived in a small house that was built using dried coconut leaves. On rainy days it was tough to live there: as the roof was made of dried coconut leaves, it would leak whenever it rained. The area we lived in was not that safe as there were a lot of vehicles around, so me and my brother used to play inside the house only. Our childhood was not that simple. I remember that one day, the corporation authority demolished our house and we had to stay in the street for almost 2 days after that. At that time, my brother and I were very young and I cannot remember the details, but I remember that I was scared, and thought why is it happening to us? After that, lots of things happened in our lives, we had to face challenges in our day-to-day lives. When I was studying 9th std, we got allotted a house in Ezhil Nagar through a slum clearance board. Life was not really easy for us in Ezhil Nagar, we faced different kinds of problems: financially, because of relatives, etc. At that time, my mother needed a major operation after which she had to rest for a whole month. My parents used to argue and quarrel a lot, which affected the overall well-being of my family, and added a strong mental pressure. In addition, I too had health problems: polycystic ovary syndrome, kidney stone and low hemoglobin level. I eventually started to understand life and people. In these few years, my family has seen different phases of life. We learned about people around us, whom we can count on and whom we cannot. In all this money and people played a big role. These were the toughest years of our life. It took some time for us to recover from that psychological pressure. The Covid lockdown period helped us heal slowly. We spent more time together and got to understand each other. After this period, everything was going fine. When I finished college, my mother had another major operation. Her uterus was fully removed, which finally helped her to heal. However, the financial problems remained. I came to LP4Y in the hope of achieving something big and I really hope LP4Y would be my first step towards that. My challenge is to help my parents and give my family a better life. Learn, improve and inspire people to achieve their dreams I want to be someone who faced challenges and inspires people to achieve their dreams. I want to have my own identity and I want to create my own individual identity. I always think big, because I want to achieve big. The only person I want to prove I am capable of great things is myself. I want to prove to myself that I am capable of doing anything and everything, and I know the biggest and toughest opponent one could face in their life is themselves only. I know that, to achieve something big one needs to work hard, and I am ready to work hard, ready to face challenges and ready to learn new things. After joining LP4Y I discovered that I have so many hidden skills and talents, so I want to improve and develop those. I can already see that my skills are improving. I seem to be more confident and I can see some improvements in my personality as well, for which I am happy. I really hope LP4Y will be my first step towards my dream and I hope through this I can give my family a better life and I really think I will be successful. I hope to learn more in LP4Y and I want to make my parents proud. Lastly, I may be born as an ordinary person but I am sure I will not die as being the same ordinary person. Let's hope for a better future!

On February 4, 2024, we – Tota, Subi and Alfa from the Training and Development Center Howrah – attended a flea market near Regent park in South Kolkata. We wanted to have a first professional experience selling clothes and learn to make new fashion designs. One of the Catalysts of the TDC Howrah Gwen was invited by her yoga teacher Rajendrani, and she offered us to join. A flea market is a place where we can sell handmade things like books and clothes. It is important to keep the place very well organized to attract customers. We can also use different types of fabrics and techniques, which are very beautiful to look at. It makes them unique and different from the competitors. How did you organize the flea market? First, we had to plan the number of clothes we can make, how we will go to the market, how long it will take to go and how much it will cost. We decorated the flea market with a rope that we hung on the sides of the small room. We used beautiful lights and hangers for clothes. We arranged the clothes very nicely. According to the size of the clothes, we can fix a price tag on it directly. It is very important to have very good practices in our team and in how we talk to the customers. How did you go there? First we took a bus from the TDC, which is a one hour journey. Then from there we again boarded a bus for 45 minutes. This was our first time going to this part of the city, so we were a bit lost. We used Google maps and called Rajendrani who helped. We reached the Flea Market place about 2 hours after leaving Howrah. How did you feel? At first, we were a bit scared because we had no experience about selling at a flea market, how to take orders and handle the customer relationship after the event, but then we slowly learned how to call the customer and how to inform him when the order is ready. Now we can explain how to fix a price, how to buy the fabric we use and even how to stitch pleats (the folded edges of clothes). Did you sell your product? We did not sell the clothes that we brought with us at the market, but one customer came and said  “I like these two dresses but I need different sizes. Can I order the two dresses for February 16? I will come to take them at your center.” We agreed to produce them. How did you manage the order? How we managed it was that first we went to the market to buy the fabric and negotiated for the price, then we sewed it. We were just in time to deliver the order. The customer was very happy with the result and the girls from Don Bosco Ashalayam who received the dress were happy too. What did you learn from the experience? At first when we went there, we did not like it because the place was completely new to us, and we got confused  because it was our first flea market. We also felt shy talking to people and we did not know how to behave. Then slowly everything got fine because Gwen and other people from the market helped us to get installed and talk to the customers. Fixing a price and negotiating with a customer was a difficult exercise but Gwen explained to us how to do it and after a few tries, we understood. To fix a price we need to know how much time we spent stitching and what is the value of our time, the price of the fabrics and the transportation to go to the flea market. We learned from there how to prepare ourselves to go to another market where we can decorate very nicely and sell whatever clothes we want. We have experience in how to handle customers and convince them and handle our team to involve everyone. Why did you like the flea market? The market was great because we gained experience about how we could set prices, we learned that it can be long to wait for customers at a market. We developed our skills in public speaking, self-confidence and how to make full sentences in English. We also appreciated the Bengali music and tried new food.

Hello everyone, my name is Asfiya Ayat, I am 20 years old and I come from Kaliganj, Lalmonirhat, but now I live in Rangpur City. Like most of the girls from the village I grew up in, I never thought I would work at such a young age… But one day I heard about LP4Y and Green Village from one of my friends. I originally thought it was computer training, but when I called them, they explained to me what it was really about and that made me very motivated! I came to visit the center with my family, and all the present Youth were so welcoming and gentle to me that my family allowed me to join the training. I still remember how scared I was on my first day and the moment I made the interview to join my Micro-Company… Indeed, I joined the Digital Center Micro-Company, as a communication and IT Officer, but I have also been elected as a Youth Leader, meaning I was helping the coaches to supervise the 35 Youth in the center outside of working hours. My three months of training taught me a lot. Before joining I was very shy, I was not able to talk in public and I was very intimidated by computers, but now that I have overcome this, I have gained a lot of self-confidence and skills. The moment I left the center was full of emotions, but I was so excited to seek for a job… Unfortunately, job seeking was difficult because for the women neglected by the society, people think they don’t need a job and keep asking them questions like “why do you want to work?”. So, I started to lose hope and motivation, but one day the GV team called me and invited me for an interview to temporarily replace a Coach who had to go back to his country for administrative issues. I was very excited by this proposal, and after 3 interviews, they told me I was the selected one! That’s how I went back to Green Village with my family again, and my family members were, once again, very well welcomed by the Catalysts. I felt so happy to join the Catalyst team, and also to be able to enter the Catalyst areas, where I couldn’t go as a Youth, it truly felt like a dream come true. Thus, I felt very lucky to be there and it gave me a huge motivation to perform my duties with confidence and dedication. I felt very supported by the Catalyst team and I received many encouraging feedbacks, which gave me a boost of motivation for my job searches, and only a few days after leaving Green Village, I had an interview in a hospital, which I managed very successfully, and got confirmed for the job. That is why I decided to move to Rangpur City, where I joined an apartment shared with two girls I met in Green Village who were also working here. Unfortunately, two days before my starting date, the hospital called me to say that they wouldn’t need me after all… That made me very sad but it didn’t break my motivation. I remembered that Coaches told me that “the only way to never find a job is to stop looking”, so I continued my research very hard. A few days later, I found a job announcement on Facebook and I decided to drop my CV. It was again for a position of hospital receptionist, and I was selected for an interview, which I managed so well that they asked me to start directly by the day after. This is where I still work now, surrounded by very nice people and I feel very good! All work and job searches require a lot of willpower and I had to overcome many job-seeking difficulties and many obstacles to reach there. But I want to advise people in the same situation: Don’t take these obstacles too personally, don’t care too much about them, go ahead with patience, motivation and confidence, and you will end up reaching your goals! Asfiya Ayat.

During project time, we decided to tell our stories, before and during our LP4Y journey. We also want to share our dreams and what LP4Y has changed in our lives. We hope those inspirational testimonies from the Philippines will inspire other Young Women to believe in their potential and join LP4Y! Believe in you! Everything is possible! Janalyn Cezar Janalyn Cezar is my name, one of the Youth at Green Village, Calauan. After I graduated in Senior High School, I had no idea about what I wanted to do in life, I didn't make any plans to follow my dreams due to financial problems and I asked myself "what is my purpose in life?" At that time, I was aware of what Green Village is. But since my English isn't very excellent, I wasn't interested in joining at that time. However, after one of my classmates in grade 12 explained it to me, I felt that I was able to adapt to the professional world. Everything changed after I joined LP4Y. At first I was shy because I didn't know all the Youth & Catalysts and I didn't have a lot of confidence to boost it. As the time passed by I built and improved my skills and qualities like in computer skills on how to use google sheet, google docs, etc. I also improved my public speaking and communication with others, and of course on how to be a professional person. We all have dreams growing up. When I was a child my dream was to become an accountant because I love numbers, I easily solve math problems. But when I join LP4Y at, I want to become an event planner that organizes events. I discovered my passion and I unlocked new skills when I entered LP4Y. I am motivated everyday to learn more because for me if you're dedicated you will succeed to adapt. The LP4Y journey made me also realize that I need to trust my own skills. It taught me that if I couldn't do it alone, I can always call for support. Je-ann Hemodo I am Je-ann Hemodo 21 years old, one of the Youth in Life Project 4 Youth in Green Village Calauan, Laguna Philippines. I’m a graduate in High School. Before joining LP4Y, I was working in Puerto Galera as a Tourist Guide for 7 months but I decided to stop my work and we decided with my husband to go back to Laguna to take care of my son and my siblings. One day my friend told me about LP4Y and she always motivates me to join but I hesitated because my knowledge is not enough in my opinion : my English level was low, my communication with others was not good and I did not have computer skills knowledge. When I entered LP4Y I’m very happy even if it’s hard sometimes to talk in English. I did not give up on myself and I always pursue my dreams to find a decent job because I want to give my son a dream future. And now I am in the Responsibility step after 3 months and I did not expect that I would improve myself so much when I'm here. I also encourage others to join us here because we are developing a lot of skills p in LP4Y and we always make sure to be professional. Joan Fontanil I'm Joan Fontanil, one of the Youth of Life Project 4 Youth Green Village Philippines Calauan Laguna. Before joining LP4Y, I was a working student trying to work in the market, but I was struggling to communicate with customers. Despite occasional mistakes leading to embarrassment, I persevered in improving my communication skills until I graduated in grade 12. I decided to stop my schooling because of financial problems. One day, my cousin and my neighbor visited, introducing me to LP4Y. Intrigued by the idea of enhancing my confidence, and overall skill set, I decided to join LP4Y with the goal of getting a decent job. LP4Y has been instrumental in my growth . The experience has allowed me to explore and understand myself better, and become more professional. During my training at LP4Y, I completed an internship at the Post Office in Calauan, where I served as an office staff. LP4Y supported me in obtaining necessary official documents such as SSS, PhilHealth, and Pag-IBIG, facilitating personal and professional growth. Now my confidence has improved. I can assure you that: Trials you can cry but you can't give up. Super woman mindset! Anjolina Francisco I am Anjolina Francisco, one of the Youth in Green Village Philippines Calauan, Laguna. When I graduated from Senior High School I felt jealous of my classmates because I had no one to support my finances to pursue my college degree and be a varsity player. My other batch mates asked me to join Green Village because they're aware that I didn't pursue a college degree. But I always refused when someone asked me to join because I know that speaking English is required at Green village. I'm scared to communicate in English as I know I'm not too good at it. One day, some Youths visited our home and introduced me to LP4Y. They said that judging and laughing at other youths is not allowed and they help Women, Identify as women, LGBT, Single mother, (18-24 yrs old) that are not capable of going to pursuing education. That's when I decided to join. On my first day in Discovery week, I was too shy to speak English in front of everyone. Then the next day we were getting ready for the Impact Meeting Presentation (A meeting with the external partners), everyone was prepared for their presentation and we needed to do a workshop and we needed to share our thoughts. I presented in front of everyone, and I've been challenged to do public speaking since it's my third day as a new bee in LP4Y. I was scared and my hand was shaking but I tried, and do my best to present our work. All I hope is to improve my English speaking ability. However I didn't expect that it would help me, to know more about my passion, my inner self, to boost my confidence, and to be the best version of myself and also to pursue my dream. That's why I was motivated to go to Green Village to learn everyday. Right now I have no idea what decent job I want, but I want to look into it and take the time to explore more. Eventually, I want to start my own business. As long as you believe in yourself, you can succeed, don't let anyone make you doubt yourself, always trust your abilities and let your light shine, be a source of strength.

Meet Rima and Khadija, two young women from the TDC of Dhaka in Bangladesh, whose lives have been transformed with the support of LP4Y. Let's start with Khadija, a motivated and determined 18-year-old woman aspiring for success. In 2022, she started her LP4Y journey by dedicating six months immersing herself in several skills-building activities within the organization. From mobilization initiatives to communication exercises, Khadija honed her professional project and built the foundations of her future success. When she bid farewell to LP4Y in August 2022, it marked the beginning of a new chapter for Khadija. She moved on to a dynamic role at Dhaka Bazar, a major online retail giant. Today, Khadija manages customer relations, processes orders and handles e-mail correspondence - a testament to the tangible skills acquired through LP4Y's training program. And then there is Rima, 18-year-old too, whose journey with LP4Y has unfolded in a similar way. LP4Y has become a landmark for her, by offering training in public speaking, IT and professional communication. Today, she is contributing to the success of an online shop that sells watches, where she has spent the last four months looking after customer relations, communication strategies and order management. LP4Y played a important role in facilitating their transition into the professional world. The advice of LP4Y's Catalysts acted as essential support, guiding them through the difficulties of developing compelling career plans. The impact on the Youth empowerment is very positive and promising for the future. They are now in a position to progress independently and develop professionally.

Every 28th of October, Indonesia celebrates its important historical time for Indonesian people to remember the sense of national belonging and unity, it’s called Youth Pledge Day or Hari Sumpah Pemuda. The Youth from diverse backgrounds celebrated the Youth Pledge Day at the Training Development Center in Jakarta, Indonesia. In collaboration with Jesuit Refugees Service and Jesuit Scholastics, it succeeded to carrying out the workshop about the Youngster problematic issues in Indonesia, Myanmar, Thailand and Afghanistan. The event began with an opening and brainstorming of a Pledge historical story led by Aulia as LP4Y ecosystem developer. The celebration was very interesting and interactive because the guest speakers, Fr. Seng Den (Myanmar), Fr. Pon (Thailand), and Nisa (Afghanistan) were well prepared. Small workshops The Youth had the opportunity to take part in different workshops and discussions for 45 minutes per team in order to better understand the problems faced by the Youth from other countries. Nisa was representing the chaotic situation that happened in her country, Afghanistan, which forced her and family to flee to Indonesia 10 years ago. She was presenting to the Youth about the struggle of being refugees and the difficulties of living as a woman in Afghanistan. Frater Pon, as the expatriate scholastic showed to the Youth the diverse social life and culture in Thailand. The Youth were so attracted to Pon’s point of view regarding the freedom of choice which is not free at all. He explained about some issues happening with the youth's mental health problems such as mass shooting in the mall and the crime’s trend of owning guns among youngsters. The final speaker, Frater Seng Dan from Myanmar who raised the issues of experiencing chaos since the coup in February 2021. According to him, Indonesian people should be grateful that there is the Youth Pledge and Pancasila so that their sense of belonging to Indonesia as a country is very strong. The diverse tribes in Myanmar and some political issues make his country's problems difficult to solve. Retrospective After a long discussion, the Youth tried to analyze the problems and brainstorm to take a position as a youth figure in overcoming problems. They were very motivated by the idea of speaking in front of people and showing their ideas on stage. It was a great experience for the Youth who are living in the bubble of Kampung Sawah (slum area) to learn from others to improve their resilience, empathy and sense of national belonging. Aulia. ED.

TDC Dhaka organized its annual impact meeting on November 24, 2023. Around 30 partners joined, including ZE Project which gave testimony regarding Youth Inclusion and its partnership with LP4Y. Partner since LP4Y creation in Bangladesh in 2021, ZE Project organizes company visits and training sessions about gender awareness. Every 3 months, the Youth from the TDC Dhaka have the opportunity to learn more about this topic. To this date, LP4Y has not welcomed a transgender person in the program. It is nevertheless important to the team to make LP4Y programs a safe environment for transgender people. Reefat Munmun, Communication and Partnership Director of ZE Project said during her testimony: "Our goal is to do Youth Inclusion. We want to encourage and make the Youth aware. If you do not start this process at home, with your surroundings, in your house, is it going anywhere? We need to invite the Youth and the family to talk. We learn, we come back home and then we make them aware. Our goal is to make Youth aware of gender identity, so that they can both understand each other and then the inclusion happens. The training is mostly about the gender awareness section. Lastly, we finalized with LP4Y a MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) which gives us a long term strategy for collaboration including the Micro-Company of Bhashantek, Care 4 Change. We got the opportunity to provide training in the Green Village also, near Rangpur. The trainers of ZE Project met the Youth there."

My name is Clara. My LP4Y experience only lasted 6 months, but remains one of the best experiences of my life. As part of my studies, I had to complete a 6-month internship abroad. My goal was to find an organization aligned with my values, where I could invest my energy in serving a cause that was important to me. Thanks to a teacher, I discovered LP4Y. After a bit of research, I quickly realized that this organization could be a perfect fit for me, so I applied as an intern and tried my luck for this position that did not exist yet in LP4Y. After a few weeks of hesitation about this internship offer, I officially became Alexia Fournel's intern in the Partnership & Fundraising team. Why did I hesitate? Because they offered me to go to Lebanon. I was both enthusiastic and frightened by this country, given the preconceived ideas I had, and I knew that going there was an opportunity, but also a challenge. After Alexia's reviews of the Green Village in Surat, I could not turn down the opportunity, and I was not going to regret it. Even after a week of inception training in France to be prepared for the trip, you do not really know what to expect. You meet other people who are going to have the same experience as you in different countries, so you can share your fears and expectations... As an intern, one of my fears was to feel out of place, to be useless for LP4Y as I did not have much professional experience. From the moment I arrived, I liked everything. The landscapes, between sea and mountains, the Youth in the Green Village and the Training Development Center in Beirut, my mission, and of course, the other catalysts. And the food! I settled in at the Green Village with a great team, who gave me a warm welcome and showed me around. I quickly acclimatized myself to this environment: this place of living, working and sharing became my second home. As my position at LP4Y was new, I was not replacing anyone, I had different missions and provided support to all team members. My main mission concerned partnerships, in particular a major information transfer project, for which I received training and support as soon as I arrived. I also spent two mornings a week with the Youth: one with a micro-company, and one in guidance. In addition, I gave mock-interviews to the Youth, and helped the coaches when they needed it. Then, I drove the van from time to time, a mission that particularly mattered to me as a pilot (and which made the soldiers at the checkpoint laugh a lot). Finally, I also helped the KII (Key Impact Indicator) team, which measures LP4Y's impact using concrete data. Thanks to my "Swiss Army knife" position and the interactions I had with the Youth and catalysts, I found a real balance and learned a lot about LP4Y. I found my place and felt useful, everything I had hoped for. Another positive surprise was the absence of hierarchy. We were all on the same level, working together towards the same goal. As soon as I started my mission, I was immediately asked for my opinion and included in the collective decisions, as if I had been there for years. The question of legitimacy was no longer relevant. I think it is a major strength for a team, a center, and overall at LP4Y. What I also enjoyed was getting to know the Catalysts from other centers via online meetings or WhatsApp exchanges, because you really get a sense of the community that LP4Y represents. Each country and each center is unique, but they all inspire and give each other a boost or energy by organizing even more ambitious events, creating inspiring activities, meeting local communities, attending enriching training, etc. For example, I was lucky enough to discover a community in Tripoli during the Welcome Weeks. We were given challenges to complete over the course of a day, which enabled us to learn more about the city, the country, but above all the locals themselves. The people I met, especially the women, really touched me. Most of them have had inspiring life paths, as their independence is not always accepted, and their role is often dictated by the male gender. Throughout my mission and during these exchanges, I realized the importance of our commitment, and how lucky I was to have had an unobstructed education, and to have made my own decisions. I would also like to emphasize what the Youth gave me, and how win-win the relationship was. Before I met them, I had not expected such motivation, resilience and generosity from them. They leave their families to give themselves a chance to build a future and gain self-confidence. They put everything in place to achieve their goals, relentlessly. I remember the first Life Project Plan presentation at the Training and Development Center in Beirut a few days after my arrival, where I could see in their eyes the desire to achieve what they had displayed on their slides, and hear the excitement in their voices when they proudly announced their long-term projects. What was really interesting was that the catalysts also presented their Life Project Plans. Even though we are here to accompany them, the Youth are an exceptional source of inspiration for us. We learn a lot more about ourselves than we could ever have imagined. At every guidance session I gave, the Youth often returned my questions (after answering or reflecting about it first), which enabled me to take a step back on many subjects, and on myself. But what I really loved was the constructive discussions we were able to have, the initiatives they were taking for their micro-company, the atmosphere after 5pm... Even though I was not with the Youth all the time, I witnessed how much they progressed in English over 3 months. It was really impressive! The batch system enabled them to help each other depending on when they arrived at the GV, but also to challenge each other to communicate better with us and their future employers. I have really seen an evolution over the months, in their technical skills, in their teams, in terms of behavior and self-confidence. For example, some Youth took a long time before speaking up at the Brief in the morning or during the smaller group sessions. So, when they dare to do so, we can see their pride. I was also struck by the kindness of the Youth and their families, a hallmark of Lebanese culture. On the first day, I was wonderfully welcomed. But I did not expect such a welcome for every dinner we spent together. I felt that every moment spent with them was a chance, and I hope that I will be able to apply this culture of sharing around me in the future. I would also add the fact that I really enjoyed living in collectivity. You live and work with the same people, and I have been lucky enough to have an exceptional team. Being with French, Lebanese and Moroccan people taught me a lot about the culture of these countries, especially Lebanon. The exchanges, during sharing time for instance, were enriching and opened my mind to many subjects and new perceptions. Despite a hasty repatriation and an unfinished mission in Lebanon due to the regional instability, this human adventure has changed me somewhat, and I will keep memories that I will continue to share around me, for the Youth and all the people I met on my way at LP4Y.

My name is Y. Amutha. I was born on July 25, 1993 in Puducherry, Union Territory of India. I was born as the first daughter to my parents Arumugam and Laxmi. I grew up in Tharamani, a town in Chennai city of Tamil Nadu. I studied my primary education in a government school in the same town. After that, due to family circumstances, we shifted to Govindhasami Nagar, another place in Chennai. I completed my 10th standard in the nearby Mandaveli government higher secondary school. My parents were daily wage workers. It means that they were employed and paid on a day-to-day basis with no assurance that they will have a job the following day. Something which happened during that time turned my life upside down. My parents used to get into arguments very often. One day, their fight went too far and both of my parents attended suicide, which resulted in the death of my father. After that trauma, I was forced to discontinue my education and went to work in a sweets manufacturing company to take care of my mother and younger brother. During that time, I fell in love with a person who is now my husband. I told my mother, but because of caste differences, my mother and relatives were against our wedding. I married my husband against my mother's wishes. My husband has been taking good care of me since then. Despite the financial problems in his family, my husband never left my side and took good care of me. After 1 year of marriage, we were blessed with a baby boy. Yet, neither his side or my side of the family was accepting us. No one from our families has helped us during our tough times. We somehow managed to run our family with my husband's salary only. After 3 years, l had a baby girl, but sadly we lost her as soon as she was born. This pushed me into depression, but with the good care and love of my husband, I was able to get back to my normal self. 2 years after that incident, l was again with child, and gave birth to a baby girl. After that, we were struggling financially.This is  when l learned  about LP4Y through one of my acquaintances. I got into LP4Y with the hope of getting a better job and providing my children with a better life and education than mine. My husband has been supporting my every decision and is still a major support to pursue my desires. What did I learn in LP4Y? I joined LP4Y on July 26, 2023. During the first month, I did not understand anything and did not know how to speak in English. During the second month, I started to understand English. During the third month I eventually started to speak. After that, I learned public speaking, team organization, and many other skills. I discovered many underlying skills of mine. I got to know about resume-making here. I also  learned about interviews and how to sit for an interview. I really feel proud of myself for all the things that I learned and achieved in LP4Y and I am really grateful and thankful for this opportunity.

My name is Kaviya. I am 21 years old. I was born on December 9, 2003. I grew up in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. When I was a baby, my parents divorced and I went to my mom’s native place in Kerala to live there. My mother did not work and spent all day reading. When I was 19, I got married to my husband and he gave me a good life. Together, we had a baby. My husband and I bought our own saree shop, but, due to heavy rain, that business was not running well. We managed it for a year and then we had to close our shop. One year later, my husband and his friends fell into alcohol and drugs. At this moment, I lost my husband and my friends. I did not say anything for a while, I was understanding but at one point, I wanted him to stop. No matter how much I cried, he did not know how to stop, how to be fully himself with his family. One day, when he was buying drugs, he got arrested by the police and put in jail. It has been one year. I stayed with my mother in law for a while, but this place was not good for me and my baby. I had a very hard time, having a small child by myself. I could not have any food there, I did not have any money. My mother in law was not supportive and we were fighting everyday. I was so sad. So I went to my sister’s house in Chennai. She welcomed me and said to me: “It’s okay, I’ll take care of you.” The days were very difficult, I was crying every night. But everyday, I was waking up, determined to improve my life. One day, someone told me about LP4Y and I was confident that thanks to the program, I would find a good job. Why did I join LP4Y? I  wanted to find a decent and a good job. My biggest challenge was English. When I came, I could not speak English very well but, after 1 month at LP4Y, I can already speak English better. I achieved a lot of things: I learned how to have a professional behaviour and attire, the importance of smiling, making eye-contact and confidence, and how to speak loud, especially in English. I also learned how to keep my motivation and that my resilience will pay off.