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Today, we are opening a door to our Green Village in the Philippines with some pictures, some quotes from the Youth and a testimony from the coach of the program ! "Thank you for letting us do the tasks, because it makes us more independent" Kim "I am happy here because I learn everyday. Knowledge is power" Samantha Testimony of the Green Village Philippines coach, Raphaelle de Truchis And me, I feel empowered everyday as a person and a woman, by all of them, their stories, their evolution in the program, their feedback and ideas, their willingness to fight for their future. I learn at the same time. I go deeper in my self development when they realize who they are. I overcome my limits because they push me to. As a coach, you ensure that the project is well runned by the Youth, you step back and let them shine. I have the feeling the young women here are especially amazing, but I think it is the same feeling for other coaches that witness the power of LP4Y for youth that they personally accompany, aware of their personal life challenges! Since August 2022, after 3 and half years of being part of the Partnership and Fundraising Team of LP4Y, I became a coach. I realized that it is good to set objectives to have a goal, but it is also good to step back from it not to take too much pressure: we are not here for performance, we are here for IMPACT. And creating impact takes time. We had 4 Young women at the beginning, only 2 of them stayed. Mobilizing in the relocation sites around the Green Village took time. And it is good that we took it! Reconnect with youth, Stars, partners, that they acknowledge the reopening of LP4Y program in Calauan after 2 years closure, discover the place, choose to step out of their homes to join the program, focus on themselves sometimes for the first time in life, find a solution to take care of their kid during the training hours. At the end of November, 20 Young women are now part of the team, ready to change their lives! Sometimes, I feel overwhelmed by all what is remaining to do for the project (basic pressure of when you want to do good at work). Something helped me a lot: come back to the belief of their potential, they have the most impactful keys to make a positive change around them. We inspire each other at a point that I know it will be life changing for me. When you realize they apply something they learnt in only one week, you realize their power. You also realize how important it is to have friends to feel included in the society, how much LP4Y is a safe space for them to speak up, become more confident and discover their personality in a professional setting. They realize that they have strengths. They learn how to use them personally and professionally. "Don't be shy to ask help to others" Samantha "Before I was taking only the positive. I learnt to recognize what is the negative and how I can make it a solution not an excuse." Joyce "If you fail, it's ok. You can stand up and get ready for success" Emily "I am so happy to have found this place where nobody treat you badly." Fidel

Let's discover the two testimonies of two former Youth of Life Project 4 Youth in Philippines who had been integrated in our partner Bolloré. First testimony : Reynalyn Salboro I am Reynalyn Salboro, an outgoing intern at BL Asia Support Services Inc. I came from Life Project for Youth or known as LP4Y. Last April 25, 2022, I started my internship with the Human Resources and Admin Department. After that, I was assigned with Finance Department. I was quite anxious on my first day of work because it was my first time working in an office. However, things and my expectation seemed to change as days go by. When I met the employees of BL Asia Support Services, I was overjoyed and relieved because they are all approachable and kind. They’re easy to work and transact with. Despite working in a professional setting, I was made to feel at home throughout my four months there. I also learned a lot about confidentiality, paying attention to the details in every employee file, and participating in several events. And Ms. Jean made the decision to give me an additional challenge by deciding that I would also receive training in Finance. At first, this made me anxious because I despise numbers, but the moment I started processing supplier invoices, I was relieved with the fact the things I hated and initially afraid of can be surpassed through determination. It was also a pleasure working with Ms. Jenarlyd because she was kind and patient knowing how busy she was. This internship served as a steppingstone for me as I really wanted to land a good and decent job in the office given my working history with the manufacturing companies, and other on call jobs. I also had the pleasure of working with Ms. Jean – HR Manager, Ms. Kriselle – HR Specialist, and Ms. Jerriza – Admin Assistant throughout my internship at the HR and Admin Department because I have gained valuable knowledge from them, they never had a hesitation in providing me a close guidance so that I could grasp the procedures quickly. I’ll be forever grateful for the opportunity that BL Asia Support Services provided me. Additionally, the staff members are incredibly kind, considerate, and helpful. Thank you for your guidance and advice. I want to make you all proud and promise to do my best with every task that will be assigned in the future. And The good for me is this coming November 7, 2022 Blassi Absorb me that I’m the One of there employee. Second testimony : Germilyn E. Padrid. Good day everyone. I am Germilyn E. Padrid. I live at 1110 Laguna Ext Tondo, Manila, former youth of C4C1. I started my OJT last August 8 handled by my Manager Venus and the one who guided me in my duties is ma'am czarisse. The first few days I was so nervous but I realized that it was a normal feeling, it is part of the journey. I was thinking if I would do my job well and if I’ll get along with my office mates. After a few weeks I enjoyed doing my tasks because everyone was approachable and nice, and the one who taught me in the workplace was amazing. My work is managing the invoices or checking, registering invoices and also completing internal invoicing and cost posting. Does it look hard? Haha at first I was confused, because you need to go through the container to know which branch it should be registered to because there are three branches which are N08, N02 and N01. That's why you need to be extremely focused while working. In my 3 months here I learned a lot because before I didn't know the forwarding and why we needed to do them. I was happy because people around me motivated me and they always tell me that I can do it and they didn’t treat me differently just because I am not a degree holder. And I also want to tell you that there is no hard task when you enjoy what you do. LP4Y was such a big help to reach your goals in life because the day isn’t over yet to continue to fulfill your dreams. And I also want to say that they want me to be part of their company.

When I came back to France after one year and a half in Bangladesh, I heard a lot the question “how was your trip?”. As if I had just left for a few months, visiting a new country and exploring its peculiarities, landscapes and culture. Indeed, I discovered a co untry I was not sure to place exactly on a map. But I also experienced and discovered so many other things, and one I was not expecting to: myself. I say a lot “I”, but I had not the bravery to leave my country, my job and my family all by myself. I took this turning point with Jérémy, my partner, who is also someone whom I highly respect the posture and energy in a working environment. Leaving for this great adventure together, it didn’t seem to be a difficult commitment for me to approach. Going to an unknown country, with a totally new professional environment, living a frugal life and meet with new people. But in the end, I know that this adventure with LP4Y has brought up to me a deep personal introspection, of which I have probably not yet fully determined the contours and the impacts on my future path. I take the opportunity of this LP4Y Story to do the exercise of the key learnings that my Catalyst journey taught me. Letting go I was confronted, at the very beginning of my Catalyst adventure, with a situation over which I had no control. I knew for a few weeks that I would be leaving for Myanmar. My family gifted me many essays and novels about the country for Christmas, I had tried to learn a few words in Burmese, already understood that the alphabet would be a tricky part of the language learning, I was picturing the marvels that I could visit during my holidays in the country, and already felt linked to this mysterious and rich culture and people that I was going to meet. It was February 2021. In the middle of the online training session with LP4Y (covid was still complicating all admin and organizational processes), we all learnt about The Coup that happened in Myanmar, making the situation completely uncertain: was the government able to replicate? Was the incredible strength of the people in the street enough to prevent the army from rolling back the painful democratization of the country? Was the admired leader Aung San Suu Kyi equipped to counter this well-planned coup ? In the middle of these important geopolitical concerns, Jeremy and I were plunged into perplexity and had to find comfort in unpredictability. Our plan was to leave around February 15th, and the days were passing without giving us any answers of our million questions. Would the LP4Y projects continue in Myanmar? Would we be ready to live in a country hit by civil war? And if we were not going to go to Myanmar, would we still be able to leave for a mission? We had not taken yet neither our flights, nor did we get our visa. We just had one thing to do: wait and see. Accept the fate and stay flexible. Forget about our plans. Feeling powerless in front of this massive political change in this country that we had started to love. On its side, LP4Y was already used to changes of plans after months of covid, announces from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, decisions from the different ambassies. In one word, they already mastered the Letting Go mantra. On our side however, it was mentally very difficult not to know about our future. We had quitted our job in the busy French capital, and fortunately had a place to live, but we had no idea what to be ready for. We had finished our two weeks training, seeing fresh catalysts excited to join their country of mission, going to meet each other, whereas we were sort of stuck in this blurry situation. We had to be ready to leave at any time, prepare ourselves for countries on which we hadn’t learn much about. But we also had to prepare for worse: to possibly wait for months in France if we had to (as it happened to many catalysts from the previous batches during covid). In any case, we had to admit to ourselves and also to our relatives, that we had zero control on what would our mission with LP4Y become. Fortunately, we escaped this uncomfortable state in only four weeks, to reach a totally new one: plunging into the unknown. Indeed, as France would not authorize volunteers to go to Myanmar in the current political situation, Jeremy and I would go to Bangladesh (a neighborhoodcountry), and not for any mission, but to create from scratch the first Green Village of Bangladesh. What a challenge. First regarding the mission of course. We had no experience with LP4Y before, had to learn everything about the pedagogy but also about the country we wanted to be useful to. And second, regarding the country. I had not read any books about Bangladesh, I didn’t know about its history and culture, the words learnt in Burmese would be totally useless there. And as a woman, what to expect? I had heard a lot about female condition in India and could only imagine what it was to leave in a Muslim country. I quickly realised how lucky we have been to have the opportunity to deep dive directly into unknown waters. Having no formal preparation dedicated to discovering Bangladesh, I have tip-toed into a culture as I will probably never have the opportunity to do again. We could only be fortunate enough to learn through the people that we would meet, by listening, looking, walking, eating. Leaving our adventure day by day. This first key learning, of being able to let go, was probably crucial to the adaptation skills I had to develop throughout my own journey, would it be for lockdown and uncertainty of the realisation of our project, for visa issues, for sudden lack of resources during the project. But I also know that it is a true asset that I have added in the vision of my life in general, and I hope it helps soothing people around me. Breaking mental barriers I spent my first six months of mission in Dhaka, in the neighboorhood of Bhashantek, nearby a large slum area. The arrival in our shared-flat with almost 10 other Catalysts surprised me in a way I hadn’t expected: despite the location, and after having read the difficult living conditions of Lucie Taurines in her book (Scarred by Life), I was amazed to see we had quite a comfortable environment. Tiles on the floor, kitchen, electricity, individual rooms, a WiFi connection. All the modern comfort I was ready to give up during this adventure. And on the outside, the village-like surroundings of the slum charmed me very quickly, thanks to the highly welcoming spirits of the inhabitants and the lively rhythm of life that we were witnessing and soon taking part of. However, everything was not so easy and smooth, as I had to break several mental constructions that seemed very common in my culture. One of the first that comes to my mind was linked to the legal authority of the country. As for many NGOs or organization volunteers working in Asia, I had entered the country with a visa that was not exactly matching my purpose of staying. This actually caused my several visits of the immigration police, sometimes at night. I had never encountered problems with the police before, and I knew that deep down, I was on the edge of the legality for a purpose that I could fight for, and that I was doing it supported by my organization. But being a quite discreet citizen in my own country, I have been tensed by these administrative tricks, and had to question my motivation and my values. More prosaically, we were in a fluctuating situation regarding lockdown during my first months of mission: sometimes we could not go out of our homes, sometimes shops opened, sometimes Youth were allowed to come to the center. But generally, it was very difficult, if not impossible, to leave our neighborhood of Bhashantek. Police officers were posted at every corner, drivers were not authorized to reach our area to connect us to different places of the city and get out of the slum, checkpoints were marking out the road and randomized control were the common situation. At the same time, my mission was focusing more and more on determining where we should settle our Green Village, meaning we needed to go and visit places, to meet with people in rural areas, to convince and collaborate with partnering NGOs having offices in other places in Dhaka and projects scattered everywhere in the country. Trying to be flexible and useful for the advancement of the project, we had to be cunning to understand the extents of the regulation and to manage to visit whenever it was authorized. Sometimes thanks to the national holidays, when all the roads were magically re-opening, sometimes using our local contacts to better understand a region without having to investigate on the field too quickly. In the end, I felt extremely lucky to have had the opportunity to deep dive into a culture, a country, hundreds of landscapes, hundreds of meetings throughout my mission, but not in the easy way. And maybe as a last example, I had to deconstruct a mental barrier of comfort. I will jump a few months after my arrival in Dhaka, after having found the perfect place to settle the first Green Village of Bangladesh, it was time to move to our new home. Located a little further than 300km from the capital (often translated as a full jumpy night in the bus), we were entering a whole new part of our experience by choosing to live in a very small village, in a building as old as the country that was unoccupied for at least 10 years. I wouldn’t say I need a lot of comfort in my daily life, but one thing I was sure I definitely needed was to have access to running water. But of course, when we moved in, with Jeremy and our two first Green Village co-catalysts Raisa and Shams, there was no proper rooms, no kitchen (so no stove or refrigerator), dangerous and messy electricity, no thermal or phonic insulation and of course, no running water. What a challenge to go every day at the nearest well, to pump our water into buckets in order to shower, cook, clean or simply go to the washrooms (even at night, no respite for missing water). But finally, even if I wouldn’t say we were not tired by the situation, I realised that with time and good companionship, we could manage to live in the simplest and most frugal conditions. Focus on the essential We spent three intense first months in our new location. During this time, I had mostly become site manager, supervising the construction, renovations and equipment of the soon-to-be Green Village training center. It was an amazing opportunity to connect with the community around, as most of the workers and suppliers were almost our neighbours. It was also a perfect time to improve in our practice of Bangla, the national language of Bangladesh and also the national pride of the country, as it symbolises the liberation of the country after its violent separation with Pakistan. After that, we were ready to open the center to young women, coming from different areas of the region (or even further away), from different organizations or coming from the neighboring villages, and we enlarged the team with a new member, the great Sharmi. It was a period when we were ready to experience a lot of “firsts”: the first youth of the country to enter a Green Village, the first time for Raisa and Jeremy to become coaches, for Shams to mobilize Youth and for Sharmi to find her posture as a Community Catalyst, the first time people would live in the center, the first time we would open MEIs, the first time we would rely on the Youth to make a center run, the first time I was witnessing and coordinating such a project, the first time for both our team and the Youth that we would see a Green Village for real. The key learning I have withdrawn from these dense and satisfying months is to focus on the essential, especially in periods of doubts or difficulties. At the end of the year 2021, the renovation works were almost finished, we had planned and communicated about our opening date in the coming January and organized everything to fit our timeline. Unfortunately, as in many organizations, the end of the year is crucial for accountancy balance, and we learned at the last minute that we would not receive sufficient funds to finish our renovation works, pay all the workers and suppliers we needed to, and open the center on time. After a very stressful period, we managed to sort out the essential: what we needed to prioritize, what could wait a few weeks more, who we needed to contact and how to communicate to the stakeholders trusting us. We learned altogether to trust ourselves and work as a team, and to communicate extensively about our fears, our stress, solutions we could find, and most of all, take a step back on what was happening. We ended up pushing our opening date of two weeks and explaining our difficulties to workers and suppliers, who were very understanding. Honesty and trust were our saviours at that time. We could finally open peacefully on January 23rd with our first batch of 20 motivated and inspiring young women. We started to find our rhythm, and even if we sometimes lacked of human resources, we managed to focus on the essential, thanks to the amazing energy all the catalysts put into the project, but also to the great moments of sharing and debriefing. In this context, a new problematic came to me. As we were in a quite remote area, we were far from any large city or entertainment. Also, we were living 24/7 with the Catalysts we were working with, which required us to find our own personal balance. In this peaceful and remote environment, I had to ask myself simple questions: what do I really like to do? How to reinvent my daily routine, and especially my weekends, far away from friends or restaurants? What do I need to feel comfortable in this different environment? This introspection helped me to determine what was really important for me, even outside of the context of my mission. Among other things, I can now say that I like to see the nature, to have time for myself, to spend time with people I love, to be surrounded with people I admire and respect and feel a mutual respect back, to do some physical activities, to laugh a lot, to eat tasty food. Maybe not very original, but with these essentials, I know I can feel at home, wherever I am. Learning from people As this story is starting to get very long, I will finish my testimony with a last learning I developed during my whole mission, which is to always learn something from people I meet. I had the opportunity to let my heart open to new encounters with different personalities, aspirations, qualities, and I feel that these meetings filled me with an unvaluable wealth. The richness of knowing we can always be inspired, to become better ourselves but also to share to others that amazing people, people sometimes a little different from our usual circles, do exist and make this world a way more interesting place. I hope I will keep this habit and continue seeing people surrounding me as individual souls. I will not enter into details, but I have witnessed true open-mindedness, kindness, professionalism, generosity, alignment, optimism, hidden skills, technical knowledge, patience, humour, resilience, determination, love, sacrifice, honesty, good will, intelligence, welcoming, inclusivity, passion, activism, selflessness, pro-activity, active listening, team spirit and so many other traits of personality that will enlighten my vision of humanity today. Thank you to the great Green Village Bangladesh team who made this project come true with their determination and kindness, thank you to the amazing Catalysts I have met along the way, thank you to the Youth who taught me so much, thank you to all the Bangladeshi who made my journey so delightful and sometimes very funny, and good luck to all the inspiring spirits enrolled in an intense but fascinating mission around the globe. Mylène Wang

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

Hello Everyone, My name is Nesahar Khatun, I am from Bauria Howrah. I am a graduate from Uluberia College in this recent year of 2022. I am from a poor family and my father is the only source of income for the family. After graduation I wanted to find a job because I saw my father works hard every day for us and it motivates me a lot to find a decent job. I thought that I can work to support my family and myself. But I don’t know where to start and how to start. Then, I heard about green village from an NGO and I felt very interested, that it runs a professional training for 3 month and it develops our skills and knowledge so that we can groom us professionally and find a decent job. That’s why I wanted to come at Green Village but my family did not allow me at first because in Green Village we have to stay at night for the 3 months, but I wanted to come at Green Village. So first I convinced my mother but my father didn’t like it, so we didn’t talk to each other for one week, but I tried again and again to convince my father, at last he understood my points and he was convinced. After that I come to Green Village for the professional training to find a job. When I first come to the Green Village, I felt so nervous because this is my first time to come out from the family but at Green Village everyone supported me so much that now I feel very motived. Every day, I learnt so many new things like professional behaviour, Work in a company, Ecology, Environment, Sustainability also using computer, spoken English etc. After 3 months when I will leave Green Villagen I will be very motivated that I can do anything what I want to. All I have to do is try, if I try something new I can learn new things and also trust myself then I can definitely do anything. Thank you !

Hi, my name is Camille and let me share you my story Before I went to LP4Y , I was lost I had no goals, no plan in life. I wasn't able to finish college because of poverty. So I have to work at an early age Life was like an endless cycle of the same routine. I wake up, eat, work, then go to sleep. Until my brother introduced me to LP4Y Foundation. After his graduation I eagerly sent the requirements to Mathilde who was the coach of Green Program at that time. I've waited months to be able to join this Life Project 4 Youth. I remember my first day, where I was so excited to learn new things. I remember the trainings, the relationship I formed with other youths and coaches. LP4Y helped me a lot in boosting my confidence, I was very shy and unsociable but everything improved after. I didn't just learn to speak English fluently or master excel I learned the value of believing in myself and how I should visualized my success someday.I also believe in people telling me that I have potential Until the day of my graduation came. I thought I was ready and confident enough to face the world again.I thought I was ready to step out of my comfort zone My teammates, the coaches and the school were I rebuild my self. I was late when and I was not able to come in time on my interview in CGI. I failed that day. But I refuse to be a tambay. After a week I looked for another job as a cashier in a small restaurant. At that time I pity myself a lot because I let the big opportunity slide. Until one day I got the good news that I would get another interview in CGI again. I practiced and practiced my interview, I made sure I know a lot about the company so that I wouldn't fail again. Then after two months of being a trainee, I got the contract. I remember the sweet sound of the pen as I write my signature on my contract paper. It was the happiest day of my life because I got what I dreamt before. And I thought that was the meaning of success. But life never ends there. it never always end on Happy endings like we saw from movies. Sometimes it ends when we wanted everything to end. I became suicidal, I overthink people's opinion and end up not getting enough sleep because of those things. I hurt myself a lot of times, I smash bottles unto my head, I pulled my hair so that I would feel the physical pain rather the pain that I'm feeling inside. I remember the night I was rushed to the hospital because of that deep cut on my wrist. A lot of people misunderstood me, they thought I was asking for attention. My family thought I was just broken hearted. They never understood that I needed help. I only needed someone to talk to. Sometimes people don't die from mental illness, they die because of stigma. Because no one understands how it feels like to wake up each day, finding reasons to wake up. Being mentally ill is hard, but it's harder when someone calls you crazy, or someone tells you to just be positive and then you'll get over it. It's like telling a blind person to open their eyes so they can see. I took this opportunity to testify to everyone of what being depressed feels like and how stigma makes them feel. So If you see a friend, struggling to get out of bed help them and encourage them to stand. We will never know if someday they ran out of reasons to wake up. And If you have a friend who struggles to sleep at night, talk to them ask them if they are okay cause we will never know how tired they are fighting with their demons inside their head. And If you are the one struggling today, I hope you take care of yourself. I'm proud of you cause you're doing your best and your still alive today. If you need someone to talk to, we are always here and you aren't alone in fighting the unseen battles. We are here to listen, I am here to listen. You see success is not about the type of job you get or how much money you earned. Success is about your growth from each path you take and being the better version of your self from yesterday. I speak my old self who died 3 years ago, I speak for the people who died from suicide, and to my friends who have existential crisis, I am Camille and this is my voice. Ricamille Ocubillo Manalastas,

Through a series of photos, discover the daily life of the Young women of the TDC Surabaya and their Coaches.

Volunteer at LP4Y for 3 years in India and Nepal between 2017 and 2020, Lucie Dubert was first a Coach in Bangalore, India, and then responsible for the Green Village in Nepal. In her book, Lucie shares with us what she took away from this experience, what the Youth taught her. By describing their life, their daily life, their evolution in the program, Lucie gives them a voice. Here is her story. I joined LP4Y with a commitment to work alongside the poorest and most excluded people. I arrived in India, full of convictions, ready to launch the first Life Project Center (LPC) in Bangalore. With me, my partner, Géraldine. We first met in Nantes, as we both prepared for departure. We know nothing about each other, yet here we are, both embarking on an extraordinary adventure. Together, we discovered colorful temples and cows wandering in the middle of the street, spicy curries and rickshaw rides. Very quickly, Sheraldjin, as some Indians call her, becomes my closest ally. On arrival in Bangalore, we immediately get to work. Our goal is to find a site for the new center and to start training young people as soon as possible. As we meet with local actors, we come to understand that poverty here is much less visible than in Calcutta, Mumbai and Delhi where LP4Y teams have already set up several centers. Many Bangaloreans we meet are surprised by our quest. For them there are no slums in Bangalore; we should be looking at another city for our project. Poverty in this booming city, which has become the third largest city in India in a few decades, is hidden, stifled, ignored. This embarrassing segment of society, the segment that LP4Y wants to bring into the light, well, we had to search hard to find it. In the end, we decide on Devarajeevanahalli (known as Djhalli) as the site for our new LPC. Djhalli is a slum of 100,000 people; enough to prove wrong all those who question the existence of extreme poverty in Bangalore. This invisible district is also excluded from the rest of the city because the community is predominantly Muslim, hidden in plain sight in the largely Hindu state of Karnataka. Although they have been here for several decades, the inhabitants speak Hindi and Urdu, the national language of Pakistan, but rarely Kannada, which is the local language of the state. When you arrive in Djhalli, the transition is brutal. The beautiful paved road gives way to a rush of rickshaws. The glass skyscrapers disappear on the horizon and little by little the minarets of the mosques appear. The call of the muezzin drowns the incessant noise of horns. Here, there are no gated communities with guards at the entrance, instead children run about freely. Most houses in the neighborhood have four concrete walls and a tin roof. Perhaps to compensate for the gloomy interiors of these small dark cubes, the exteriors are brightly painted by the owners. Some streets are colorful mosaics, brightening up the black burqas. There’s a juxtaposition of contrasting images: at the corner of a street, a small church with a blue bell tower stands next to a bloody butcher’s shop; cricket bats in hand, the youngsters noisily play cricket on a rubbish-strewn pitch. The electricity supply is precarious and yet most people have a television. At the market, the foul smell of fish stalls in the sun gives way to the scent of fresh coriander two meters further on. I see the diversity of this place, and struggle to interpret what I see. The more I see, the less I understand. It seems you can live in the most basic house in the neighborhood, but that doesn’t mean you have no education. You can own an entire building, and yet still wash your dishes in the street. For the moment I can’t tell who is rich and who is not. There is lively confusion all around me. One thing is certain, however: here, men reign supreme. They have beards rather than mustaches and apply kohl around their eyes. Their teeth are stained red from chewing betel quids, and their appearance sends shivers down my spine, reminding me of so many threatening Jafars5! No polite smiles; just stern looks that seem to question what a white woman is doing here. I feel uncomfortable, out of place. I too would like to be able to slip into a burqa... Integration is going to be complicated. The Djhalli district is indeed a slum: the poverty is blatant there, exclusion palpable. The faces are marked with life’s violence. So, what changed my fear into wonder, my pity into gratitude? LP4Y’s purpose is to support vulnerable excluded Youth, to help them find and keep a decent job (with a contract, fixed hours and salary, and if possible medical coverage and social benefits). Each center set up in Asia targets a different population, selected after analysis of local issues. Some centers are reserved for young mothers, others are dedicated to street Youth, some even to prisoners. We decided that the Djhalli Center would be for young women. To publicize the project in the neighborhood and meet the Youth likely to form the first team, we go out to meet the inhabitants, dressed in our lovely LP4Y polo shirts. Despite having imagined this moment many times, having completed my training course, and really looking forward to finally meeting these young people, it’s not easy to get started. Knocking on doors, introducing yourself, making contact despite the language barrier. Confronting our fear of the unknown. I’m worried about disturbing them, being too intrusive and being turned away. I walk without really knowing where I’m going. I wander through small alleys. The further I go, the more entangled the houses become. I take an alley to the right and find myself in the poorest area of the neighborhood. There’s corrugated iron wherever I look. Families have limited and irregular access to water but this morning, the fountains are overflowing. The unreliable pumps transform the street into a paddling pool. The women, in flip-flops and night wear, their hair gleaming with coconut oil, wait their turn to fill their bowls. Some are already vigorously scrubbing clothes; others busy themselves soaking pans from the day before. In short, it’s not the moment for introductions ... I catch the eye of a young woman hanging out her washing, I bravely move towards her, jabber the few Hindi words that I have learned and ask her age. But she smiles at me, uncomfortably, and goes back to her business. Failure. I continue on my way without much confidence. I am overwhelmed by everything going on around me when I hear: — Which country ma’am? I turn around. There’s a man sitting on the steps of his house, arms folded; the jaded spectator. He doesn’t seem very busy. — France, I reply. — Aaah, France! Mbappe! I take this as an opening, and explain the project to him. — I am looking for young women aged 17 to 24 who do not go to school and who do not work. He looks at me and pulls a face. I smile as best I can. He gets up nonchalantly and as if in a supreme effort, calls out to the busy women. Some, focused on their chores, barely pay him any attention, but others listen closely. — My cousin’s sister is 18, no work, no school, she can come? At last - some interest! — Of course, of course, where is she? In response to my enthusiasm, the woman gets up, leaving her washing bowl and decides to guide me through the maze of barracks. Off we go! A lively procession joins us: a few women who have chosen curiosity over laundry; the Mbappe fan; and a crowd of children. All of us in search of the cousin’s sister in question. I am no longer in unknown territory. As I listen to the kids calling “sister, sister ! ” I feel more as if I’m part of a big family reunion. In less than five minutes, I feel like they’ve adopted me. I’m barely inside the house before a baby is put in my arms. After a few dozen selfies taken with each of the neighbors, my apprehensions are a thing of the past. We talk, we laugh about our difficulties in understanding each other. I allow myself to be swept from one house to another; at each one the hostess offers me something: if I’m lucky it’s tea, if I’m unlucky, a revolting sickly-sweet soda. I meet some young women who will be able to join the program but, more importantly, I immerse myself in this new environment. I start to feel good here. In just one afternoon of outreach, my perspective has changed. I no longer approach the neighborhood as a potentially hostile or dangerous environment but as my new home that contains more “Indian moms” than I could have imagined. Over the months and thanks to the local inhabitants, this atmosphere will become more and more familiar to me. This neighborhood will be my anchor. And I can go further: those terrifying bearded men will become solid partners for the creation of the center. There will be Afzar, our main contact, always available to put us in touch with motivated young adults. In respect of his motto: “First eating after meeting!” we eat an obligatory biryani before each meeting. There will be Asif, the owner of the building, and Siddiq who will renovate it. I can laugh now about my scary first impressions. The women will open their doors to me and explain their daily struggles. Their generosity and radiant smiles will almost make me forget the garbage dump next to which they live. Above all, there will be the Youth and their families, who will invite me with open arms to share their daily lives, their ups and their downs. Lucie Dubert

At the very beginning, when I was little I dreamed of being an important man in society, helping people and being responsible. At school, I was ranking in the top of the class and in so many times I was even the first. Because I can’t be at the margin. And I was helping my classmates when they faced difficulties. When I was in college, I lost the first two years but I went forward and I changed to civil engineering, then I was the major in my branch, helping my classmates again. When I graduated from college, I rubbed off on people and my society because before that I was free to study. I was surprised by the big gap between me and the society in which I live. They don’t have any plans for their life and children, no plans for their jobs, they are not willing to upgrade, they work on the principle of:” every day per day”. That’s why I decided to change and think about what I can change for my brothers, friends, my relatives, and all the people by helping and guiding them. At first I worked on guidance and raising community awareness and how to upgrade themselves continuously, including teaching IT skills and the use of the Internet, because it is the biggest influence in society nowadays. Also, I communicated with the associations and institutes, I employed three girls while working with UNICEF. During the 2022 Spring, in Mars, I heard about your association through Omayma Adawieh and contacted Maylin, the Project Manager Mobilization of the Project, to know more about you and the program. After a few months, Rabiaa, my sister, and Omayma joined Life Project 4 Youth. Of course, it wasn’t easy to persuade our parents, because it takes so much effort from me to convince them of the advantages of the project. In general, the biggest obstruction for girls for such a project is the ignorance of the parents and the closed and unconscious mind, and the fear of letting the girl sleep out of her home. The last thing that matters is the lack of knowledge on the project because before my sister joined you, I actually had a wrong idea about it. After I looked at the project and the program I couldn’t give my opinion, I needed more information about it. But then, I saw my sister and the areas in which she evolved, I can say, it is very good. Finally, I would advise all people: “if you are not increasing, you are decreasing”. Thank you all for reading this testimony and letting me share my ideas with you and I hope to visit you ASAP on the Green Village Surat ! Bilal Adawieh

I am Jaymon Gonzales, a Star of Life Project 4 Youth (LP4Y). I started my LP4Y journey since I was in jail. I joined LP4Y on February 5,2015. It was a great journey for me because it makes me think that even if we are in jail we are so special. LP4Y taught us how to build our dreams & give hope while we are in jail. Life in jail is so boring & with the help of this program, we think that we are more special inside. Sometimes, we don't know how to stand on our own, inside because we are far from our family. But still with the help of LP4Y they change our thoughts that even if we are an inmate they push us how to make our goal & achievements in our future life. When I finished my (PTE) and became a Star, we accommodated some youths inside to help them out of boredom. Inside, we encouraged them to join LP4Y to gain knowledge while they are still in jail. We also conducted training for the inmates just to share our knowledge that we gain in LP4Y. We trained them about English, mathematics, computer skills & guidance training. We are proud that even if we are an inmate we are able to train the other inmates.. Actually, I got released on June 3rd 2021. I still keep contact with the coaches and am still active in the activities that they did. For now I work as a helper of a construction company & it helps me a lot just to sustain my daily needs and also to help my mother. I just want her to know that I don't forget what she did for me when I was in jail. I'm so grateful that I changed my life a lot. Life goes on, People change. They know my name Not my story…

Hi Everyone! I’m Jiselle Rabaca. I’m 23 years old and a mother of 2 kids. I work as a Junior Analyst at CGI Philippines and graduate LPC Payatas in March 2019. I am also a Grade 11 student and class president as well as the Secretary of Quezon City Star clubs. At a young age, I became a mother but always held on to hope that I would still be able to finish my education after giving birth but was unfortunately held back by financial challenges. At a certain point I experienced depression and was filled with anxiety over how my kid’s future will be. Then an opportunity came for me to start a small document printing-business using my basic knowledge of computers. It was during this time that I came to know of a door to wonderful opportunities that is LP4Y while I had little confidence that I could step into that door. In LP4Y I became very comfortable with my co-youth and coaches and surprisingly, with myself. I went through several mock interviews and company visits which allowed me to explore and experience how it is in the corporate world – the way people actually dressed and spoke – which were all just in my thoughts before. I was able to intern in Messy Bessy where I shared my stories in different LP4Y events. In my job search I had 3 company interviews in 1 day and would be told I would get an update on the interview result and that’s how it went until I was interviewed at CGI Philippines on June 18, 2019. I became part of CGI when they appreciated how I demonstrated all the learnings I gained from LP4Y from the way I shook my interviewer’s hand, my body language, my effort to practice my English communication skills to how I have expressed my eagerness to learn and get out of poverty to secure my son’s future. It was not easy when I trained for my job – reading invoices in different languages and analyzing figures which all required attention to details. But after years of doing the job day-in and day-out, and being in the corporate world, I noticed how much I grew and how much of my circumstances have changed. I realized I am now living my simple childhood dream. When I was little, I envied my brother because his birthday was Dec 31st and there would inevitably be a celebration where there was delicious food and our family was together – because it was New Year’s Eve. While on Dec 30th my birthday – we don’t even have a picture of our family being together on that day and there wasn’t even a small cupcake for me. So, when I had my son I wanted him to feel that his birthday was something to celebrate. I consider it one of my biggest achievements when I was able to throw parties for my children and that I was able to spend on one of those parties even while I was recovering from my eye surgery. Those events, among other things make me feel proud that I have grown so much and continue to grow. I do believe that there is nothing impossible for me as long as I have the will to continue. My personal experience with the guidance of LP4Y tells me how much being part of the working class positively impacts the lives of excluded youth and how the working class also benefits from the relationship. Excluded youth usually have the stronger drive and determination to work hard in order to forge a better future for themselves and their families. We excluded youth with that determination are the kind of workers companies need and should nurture because we are eager to prove ourselves and be assets and when given the opportunity we become very loyal members of the company. Every single person here is not the same. But we are all looking for the same things to help us achieve our goals. We all need the guidance, encouragement, openness, and the opportunity to be productive members of society. I am personally grateful for LP4Y and CGI Philippines for providing all those things which I walk with in my continuing journey toward realization of my dreams. But on top of that, I am grateful for myself. I am grateful for myself and each of us working to make our dreams come true should be proud of ourselves because we take the first step, the initiative to learn, and we who keep taking steps no matter the challenges, and we who kick the doors to open and create opportunities for ourselves. “I” MAKE IT HAPPEN. EACH OF US MAKES IT HAPPEN. Believe in the power of YOU. Thank you!

Discover the pictures of the Youth from Green Village Nepal when they visited HYATT in Kathmandu! Pramod Thakur - HR Manager - Hyatt Place Kathmandu Actually our experience with LP4Y was amazing and at the same time it's a meaningful learning session for us as well. It was a great opportunity for us to share our experience about the hospitality industries with those young women and they are really keen to learn about the hotel industries. We explained them about the brand and also took them for the show round of each and every individual department of the hotel. Nepal is an underdeveloped country and we all are aware of the socioeconomic condition of the country. Especially, when we talk about the condition of women from excluded backgrounds, it is very painful and we really appreciate LP4Y’s effort to make changes in their life. As Hyatt we have a Rise HY program and the motto is to invite Youth to reach higher with Hyatt. So I believe we can collaborate and initially we can hire those women as trainees and place them in different departments and later on based on their performance we can hire them as FTEs as well. I think this will be a stepping stone but definitely the outcomes will be greater and as Hyatt we believe in “Women Empowerment”. Best Regards, Pramod Thakur - HR Manager - Hyatt Place Kathmandu