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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

YOGA Channel for beginners and intermediate Having some difficulties waking up in the morning and keeping the balance during the whole day ? Here is something to integrate to your morning routine ! These two training sessions are particularly focused on increasing and opening your energies for the day but the channel “Boho Beautiful” offers you a wide range of videos to practice Yoga as a beginner or Intermediate. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NKiGZktresA&t=6s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uy9C2bHsczI Podcast - Emotions [French] Un podcast qui part à la découverte de nos émotions intérieures, refoulées ou assumées et nous interroge sur leur origines, leurs conséquences ou encore le désarroi auquel on fait face lorsqu’on ne parvient pas à les apprivoiser… Podcasts ponctués de témoignages de personnages (plus ou moins) attachants et de spécialistes qui rendent intéressant le parallèle expérience vs scientifique dans l’appréhension de nos émotions. Petit plus : Les derniers épisodes “spécial confinement” Petit coup de coeur : La résilience : comment redonner du sens à sa vie après un traumatisme https://www.facebook.com/emotionspodcast/ https://soundcloud.com/louiemedia/sets/emotions Adventure films to escape from your couch! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RT7mwbFwIvU Surf The line - Flying Frenchies (French, English subtitles) Let yourself be dragged into the crazy and zany world of the Flying Frenchies, a group of fellows “circassiens” (circus artists) in love with challenges who think that nothing is impossible, even surfing in the air ! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Xv5lwkdvus Rêves d’Himalaya - Steven Le Hyaric (French, subtitles in English) Steven, a former athlete, decided to cross 60km of the Himalaya chain by mountain bike and go to meet local Nepalese people. A nice and short video to start your day and share with your flatmates/family for breakfast ! “Chez soi” Mona Cholet https://fr.calameo.com/read/00021502295cd447c3828 Mona Cholet, que l’on retrouve souvent sur les étagères de volontaires (féministes…) avec son ouvrage “Sorcières, la puissance invaincue des femmes” nous livre ici une éloge du dedans, du chez soi, particulièrement inspirante en cette période de confinement. Elle raconte comment la société a fait de son plaisir d’habiter l’intérieur, une culpabilité embarrassante. On ne pourrait donc pas être journaliste et casanière, oxymore “tout aussi crédible qu’une charcutière végétarienne”. Elle nous interroge aussi sur nos rapports au dehors, aux autres et rappelle que “pour pouvoir y [le monde] pénétrer et le restituer, il faut avoir développé un univers propre, susceptible de lui faire pièce”. Expérience de volontaire (en intérieur) : le lire à voix haute, sur le canapé du salon, nouvelle activité pour habiter l’espace et repeindre les murs de débats et de poésie. Radio Meuh! https://www.radiomeuh.com/ Very good and ectic independent radio to listen to some funky sounds and make some discoveries! Some old songs are released and sometimes it is great to listen to the “original” song that you usually know as “remix”! “Jusqu’où peut-on aller trop loin ?” Jeu de mots/maux de tête par Ben Isidore. https://www.instagram.com/benisidore/ [French Content] Légèreté et subtilité mielleuse de mots habilement mis en scène. TedX - What does the Quran really say about a Muslim woman's hijab? | Samina Ali https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_J5bDhMP9lQ [English content, French Subtitles] The novelist Samina Ali brings us to the ancien time of the Prophet Muhammed to reveal and give back the real meaning of what is a “hijab”. What does that mean if we are not talking about what society made the “veil of Muslim woman” only? And how the fundamentalist people confused the two in order to deny the Women’s rights?

Thao Thi Sua, Management Step Graduate Bread & Smiles program, Hanoi, Vietnam “Thanks to the coaches for always being there for me since I was just a girl didn’t even know a single word in English. LP4Y has contributed a lot to who I am today - having a decent job and basic knowledge of English to work in a 4-star hotel. I have a message for LP4Y’s current youths is that when you still have the opportunity, just try to open your mind and don’t stop improving your English. Especially in a great environment as LP4Y, you have the chance to communicate with the coaches every day and make weekly reports in English. There is a truth that knowing English is the key to get better employment opportunity and to work in a professional environment.”

By Gaëlle, Coach of Fashion 4 Youth program, Payatas, Philippines

[English version below] Chloé Hunault, LPC Yangon, Myanmar, Coach du programme MyanMade 25 mars 2020 Premier week-end de confinement plus que bienvenu! Nos journées sont rythmées par le thé glacé, de la musique en tout genre, le soleil et les jeux: Times up, code name, petit bac et autres jeux de cartes en tout genre. On se fait chacune une bassine d’eau et une sorte de chaise longue made in LP4Y (une palette quoi) pour nous donner la sensation d’être au bord de la piscine à domicile. On fait comme on nous a dit: on se repose, on prend le temps, on partage ensemble, on rit et on passe de bons moments. Je sens que la coloc prend son rythme, chacune trouve sa place et ce confinement nous permet finalement de se rapprocher, se connaître plus rapidement et j’ai l’impression que tout le monde s’en réjouit. Avec Claire nous toquons à la porte du voisin pour lui emprunter son baby-foot mais personne ne répond. Il ne perd rien pour attendre... J’en profite aussi pour reprendre un peu le lien avec mes proches en France: confcall avec mes anciennes collègues d’amour, marrade avec mes amies d’enfance, FaceTime avec ma famille (ma petite maman qui ne parvient toujours pas à comprendre l’intérêt de parler devant l’écran :) et les messages auxquels je n’avais pas pris le temps de répondre. On finit ce bon week-end par une soirée crêpes et projection Netflix dans le salon: Un + Une, film tourné en Inde, ce pays qui me manque tant... Mardi matin il est temps de retrouver mes Youth, je suis surexcitée, la sensation de ne pas les avoir vu depuis des semaines alors que ça fait à peine 5 jours !! J’ai le sourire, le cœur qui bat, j’ouvre notre portail comme une gamine qui ouvre son carnet secret. La nouvelle tombe juste avant 8h30: 3 cas...le gouvernement commence enfin à communiquer. Une bonne chose car les birmans commencent à prendre conscience de la situation. Mais nos Youth également...et lorsque je récupère ma team pour leur donner leurs allowances, ce n’était plus le même regard satisfait que je leur connais quand je leur distribue enfin l’argent qu’ils ont dûment mérité. C’est un regard inquiet, un regard pensif, un regard qui me crie de les rassurer, un regard qui est encore plus profond du fait que l’on porte un masque. Je ne voulais pas le porter, je ne voulais pas créer encore plus de distance entre eux et moi, je voulais leur donner un sourire à défaut d’une tape dans le dos. Mais ma coordo Claire m’a raisonné, et je réalise qu’il est plus facile de tromper les gens avec son sourire qu’avec ses yeux. Les yeux ça trompe pas, les yeux ça dit tout, les yeux ça supporte pas de masque. Je me bats contre ce langage qui était devenu mon préféré pour leur montrer qu’ils peuvent compter sur nous pour redoubler d’efforts afin de les accompagner dans cette guerre qui est la nôtre, à nous tous. Je m’efforce de croire qu’il n’y a plus de riches et de pauvres face à la contamination mais je regarde autour de moi et quand je repense à mon confinement du week-end, je réalise que le leur sera nettement différent. Comment leur dire qu’ils n’auront pas de problèmes s’ils restent chez eux? Chez eux avec 10 autres personnes sans masque dans la même pièce? Chez eux sous 40 degrés sans un souffle d’air? Chez eux sans pouvoir travailler et ramener le peu d’argent qui sert à nourrir toute une famille? Chez eux où l’hygiène est plus que précaire? Et pourtant je n’ai hélas pas d’autres pouvoirs. C’est eux les héros, pas moi. Alors j’espère encore une fois qu’ils seront plus forts que moi, qu’ils sauront trouver quoi faire sans mettre leurs vies en danger. Avec Bérénice nous décidons le soir même de créer un groupe Facebook avec nos teams respectives afin de communiquer plus facilement, de leur donner quelques exercices et d’apporter un peu de fun dans cette période qui s’annonce compliquée. Ça marche, les jeunes se confient, nous écrivent, nous envoient même des photos,...ouf ils sont là! Je les vois et même si ce n’est que à travers un écran, je ne porte plus de masque. Et je peux leur sourire à nouveau... Chloé Hunault, LPC Yangon, Myanmar, Coach of the MyanMade programm First week-end of lockdown is more than welcome! Our days are marked by iced tea, all sorts of music, sun and board games : Times Up, Codenames, “Petit Bac” game and other cardboard games. Each of us make herself a basin of water and a kind of a deck chair made in LP4Y (actually, a pallet) in order to give us the feeling of being alongside the pool, at home. We do as it was told to us : we take rest, we take the time, we share, we laugh and we spend good moments together. I feel like our flat sharing is finding its rhythm, each of us is finding her place and this lockdown eventually allows us to get closer, to know each other faster and it seems to me that everyone is delighted by that. With Claire, we knocked on the neighbour’s door to borrow his foosball table but no one answered. He’ll get what he deserves later… I’m also taking this opportunity to reconnect a bit with close friends and family : conf. call with my beloved former colleagues, good laugh with my childhood friends, FaceTime with my family (my little mom, who still doesn’t understand the interest to speak in front of a screen) and the messages which I hadn’t taken the time to respond to . We end this great week-end with a crepes party and Netflix screening in the living-room : “Un + Une”, a movie shot in India, this country I missed so much… Tuesday morning, it’s time to see the Youths again, I am overexcited, I feel like I didn’t see them for weeks when it has been only 5 days !! I have a big smile, my heart is pounding, I unlock the door as a little girl who opens her secret diary. The piece of news is falling just before 8.30a.m.: 3 cases… the government finally begins to communicate. It’s a good news because the Burmese can become aware of the situation. That also applies to our youths… and when I take my team back to give the allowances, the youths don’t have anymore this satisfying look they have when I give them their well-deserved money. It’s a concerned, thoughtful look, a look which says the need of being supported, a look even deeper in the light of the fact we are wearing masks. I didn’t want to wear it, I didn’t want to create this distance between them and I, I wanted to give them a smile with the impossibility of a pat on the back. But my coordinator, Claire, reasoned with me, and I realize that it’s easier to fool someone with a smile than with eyes. The eyes can’t cheat, the eyes say everything, the eyes can’t bear a mask. I fight against this language, which had become my favorite, to show to the youths that they can rely on us to strengthen our efforts to accompany them in this war, the war of all of us. I strive to believe there aren’t the wealthy and the poor anymore regarding the contamination, but I look around and when I recollect my containment of the week-end, I realize that theirs will be different. How could I say they won’t have problems if they stay at home? At home, with ten other people without masks in the same room? At home, under 40 degrees without a breath of fresh air? At home, without the possibility to work and to bring the little money which feeds a whole family? At home, with a poor hygiene situation? Unfortunately I don’t have any other powers. They are the heroes, not me. So I hope, one more time, that they will be stronger than me, that they’ll find solutions without endangering their lives. With Bérénice, we decide by evening to create a Facebook group with our respective teams to communicate in an easier way, to give them a few exercises and to bring some fun to them in this period looming hard and complex. It goes well, the youths talk to us, send us some pictures… Phew, they are right there! I can see them, and even if it’s only through a screen, I don’t have to wear a mask anymore. And I can start again to smile to them...