On International Youth Day, 12 August 2011, The British Asian Trust pays tribute to young people who–against all odds—are building futures for themselves with support from our charity partners.
In these times of social and economic turmoil, young people across South Asia and the UK are escaping poverty through education, training and enterprise. Trust charity partners Saath in India and Street League in the UK are transforming the lives of young people and making an impact on the poor communities where they live.
“We are proud of the role we play in reaching out to disadvantaged young people through training and education to help them realise their aspirations and establish livelihoods,” said Trust Executive Director Hitan Mehta.
Saath’s Umeed (Hope) programme addresses the critical issue of youth unemployment. It was established to help young residents of the slums improve their employment prospects by providing them with an opportunity to learn life skills, technical skills and basic English.
When students complete their courses, Umeed helps them gain access to employment in high growth service centres. In just six months, 7,000 young people have been trained with a placement rate of 77 percent. Not only does Umeed make a significant difference to the lives of the young people by helping them realise their full potential; it also helps transform the lives of those around them, which revitalises local communities.
In the UK, Trust charity partner Street League uses the power of football to get the most disadvantaged youth into work, education or training. Street League works with 16-25 year-olds not in education, employment or training; offenders and substance users. Through its structured football programmes, Street League builds the confidence, life skills and qualifications necessary for young people to construct their futures. Seventy-five percent of Street League’s participants progress into jobs or college, all through the power of football. Over the last 10 years, Street League has worked with more than 22,000 young people.
This year’s International Youth Day represents the culmination of the International Year of Youth (IYD) and the 25th Anniversary of the first International Year of Youth. “Change Our World” was chosen as the theme for IYD 2011 as it not only expresses the level of impact that young people strive to achieve, but also reflects the notion of a global community that is a core principle of the United Nations.
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