Over 14,000 Flemish and Brussels youth are swapping school classrooms for workplaces on Thursday as part of the YOUCA Action Day. They will work for a day and the wages they earn will go directly to youth projects on sustainable food in Uganda, Ecuador and Burkina Faso, the organisation explained.
YOUCA (YOUth for Change and Action) encourages young people to think about societal challenges. The organisation does this with events such as the YOUCA Action Day, which is taking place for the 16th time this year.
Thousands of young people from the fourth to the seventh grade in 200 schools will find a job for a day at one of 7,500 employers, including at Center Parcs, football club STVV, Planckendael and the East Limburg Fire Department.
Their €55 wages for the day will be donated in full to young entrepreneurs setting up sustainable food projects in Uganda, Ecuador and Burkina Faso.
Students work for a day at a self-selected place of employment to raise money for young entrepreneurs setting up sustainable food projects in Uganda, Ecuador and Burkina Faso. Credit: YOUCA.
Non-profit organisation Rikolto (formerly Vredeseilanden) teaches them the skills to make the project a success.
"This way they take care of the planet, make sure people can realise their dreams and provide a stable income for a lot of young people," said the YOUCA organisation.
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Over the past two weeks, 12 Ugandan ambassadors have already traveled to schools in Flanders and Brussels to present their project. They told how they provide themselves with a stable income through the project while working on innovative and sustainable solutions for our planet.
"YOUCA has been incredibly transformative because you get to see young people supported at all fronts to not only chase their dreams, but also share their solutions to audiences far and near," said Mercy, founder of Raining Vegetables.
"Most importantly, investing in African businesses as global problem solvers has been an incredibly rewarding experience to be part of. Young people all over the world have a voice and YOUCA helps them to be truly seen and heard.”
