In celebration of International Youth Day on 12 August, World Youth International have partnered with Brisbane-based social enterprise Yumm to raise awareness of the importance of empowering the youth of today to embrace positive mental health and mindfulness strategies.
As a means to develop and protect youths, International Youth Day celebrates and focuses on organisations and individuals that contribute through initiatives such as providing education, employment and health care (amongst other areas). This day holds a special place in our hearts at World Youth International, as we have and continue to successfully implement projects that achieve this and more within disadvantaged communities across the world.
World Youth International aims to empower the youth of today, to make way for a better tomorrow. This is an ongoing challenge due to the fact that there are communities in developing countries, such as Nepal, who cannot receive adequate education due to poverty, and has further increased due to the impact of the pandemic and lockdowns. It’s through education that communities can be empowered, however without adequate support, many children cannot attend school, or have access to online education remotely through lockdowns. Constant lockdowns and the general unknown of Covid-19 are placing citizens in a more vulnerable state than ever before, especially in terms of mental health, education and the country’s economy and sustainability. Due to lockdowns, only 12% of children are able to attend school virtually, others without access are simply going uneducated. Meaning, families are starting to increase pressure on children to start working, within child labour environments, which will only further impact the country’s economy and sustainability in the future. Over 4% of youths aged 13-18 have also been recorded to be suffering mental health issues due to this. While World Youth International has supported students in Nepal, there is a lot more that can be done in order for more children to receive the education that they need to flourish.
World Youth International also aims to educate, empower and inspire positive change within the global community through providing access to quality healthcare. This is primarily through our Nurses in Action program which provides a unique, powerful and immersive opportunity for Australian nurses and allied health professionals to provide quality healthcare services to people living in remote communities.
Furthermore our Nurses In Action program can empower the next generation of nurses by encouraging the sharing of skills and knowledge across cultures.
“By caring for some of the world’s most vulnerable people in Kenya, alongside Kenyan nurses and midwives, I learnt more than what I could physically give, particularly due to the lack of medical supplies, equipment and facilities. It is so beneficial for Australian nurses, with various levels of experience, to be able to develop their skills even further on these programs. What we can all learn from working within vulnerable communities, and then bringing that first-hand knowledge back home, is vital for future generations of nurses,” said Helen Zahos, Registered Nurse, Nurses In Action Ambassador/past Volunteer.
Nurses and health professionals positively impact lives across the world. It’s this work that enables youth voices to be possible, paving the way for healthier (physically and mentally) generations going forward. Between 9-16 August, we are putting the spotlight on the importance of ensuring our nurses and health professionals have adequate mental health support so they can continue to thrive in their chosen careers.
As part of our partnership with YUMM, we will be sharing actionable messages to encourage our networks, including health professionals, to get your self-care journey started. Help spread positivity about mental health, while helping those in need!
Making a donation to World Youth assists us to continue making a positive impact on a global scale, and we’ve made it even easier (and tastier) for you to do so! Yumm helps combat the onset of mental health disorders through the sale of delicious chocolate, and for this week only are donating 10% of all sales towards World Youth International initiatives, which provide education, empowerment and inspire positive change to youths and their communities around the globe.
We hope our campaign inspires you to give and keep giving when you’re able to. No matter how large or small, your donation always has an impact. Changing lives around the world has never been easier (or more tasty)!
Stay tuned for more information on how you can purchase Yumm’s delicious bite sized chocolate. As well as supporting World Youth International projects, they are also a vehicle to share free tools and resources, and spark conversations on mental wellbeing. Enjoy the delicious chocolate yourself or use it to show a friend you care. Yumm has made it easy to spread the love!
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