By Hazel Ann Lenida | Youth Program Associate
A hot and beautiful summer to all of you, GlobalGivers! How are you getting on with this weather? Most of you might be spending your summer vacation hanging by the beach or pool sipping some cold drinks, or ice cream maybe? We’re just guessing but we do hope you're having a great time.
Speaking of a great time, this summer, we have conducted our bi-annually organized Youth Congress. Our three-day Youth Congress was held in Alona Kew White Beach Resort & Spa, Panglao Island, Bohol, last April 13-15, 2016 and it was attended by 85 lively and skilful Youth leaders coming from different parts of the Philippines.
These Youth leaders have contributed a lot during the Congress; new ideas have been realized and planned. A new set of Youth Committee Officers were also elected and these group of leaders will be joining us for two years in the hopes of advocating and empowering the children and youth all over the Philippines. We’ve also conducted team-building activities in those three days, and have invited inspirational beings to motivate our participants.
Inspirational talks, significant updates about the Network, sharing of the best practices, team-building and commitment-building: these are some of the activities during the Youth Congress which focuses on the development of the Youth leaders’ social and financial skills and sense of cooperativism. Through these activities, our Youth participants were also able to build camaraderie and trust among the other delegates which unified them as effective catalysts of change in their respective region.
To reach our goal of teaching 15,000 kids of saving and investing, we had to put into careful consideration the fact that they also have to enjoy their youth like the American movie title suggests, ‘You’re only young once’. The children and youth are explorer and curious in nature, so we continue to hold this event every two years to let them explore what character and skills they would like to build within themselves through meeting people from a different place and exchanging wisdom. Each of our Youth delegates brought and creatively incorporated the values and character of the Cooperative they represent in the course of the event.
So what about you? Have you met any inspirational beings throughout this summer? The rainy season is about to start here in the Philippines, but the rain and the cold weather won’t stop us from empowering the children. Blessings and activities are pouring for the next months and we can’t wait to tell you all about it!
Till next update, keep saving!
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