As individuals and organizations, what we do today can change the trajectory of our planet’s future. This includes the education, preparation, and involvement of our youth in sustainable initiatives – and it’s never too young to learn about our planet.
The Impact of Our Youth
In 2023, there are a recorded 1.2 billion young people between the ages of 15 to 24, making up 16 percent of the global population. According to the United Nations, “the active engagement of youth in sustainable development efforts is central to achieving sustainable, inclusive, and stable societies by the target date” of 2030. The UN notes that our youth can create incredible change in global issues such as climate change, unemployment, poverty, gender inequality, conflict, migration, and more.
The Importance of Youth Development
It is our responsibility to set the next generation up for success. To do so, individuals and corporations alike must create opportunities to advance youth development in all areas of the world and provide aid to those communities who lack resources.
EFL Global, an international logistics provider, has taken action in multiple regions to foster a more sustainably knowledgeable and skillful generation to come. In India, the organization supports Yein Udaan, a community-based NGO providing holistic educational programs for children and young adults to improve their knowledge and general well-being.
Through Yein Udaan, the EFL Global – India team sponsors after-school programs for around 50 children in Chennai, offering opportunities to develop skills in multiple disciplines such as computer studies, photography, and martial arts. These supplementary programs have served to increase the children’s overall well-being while providing them with a safe environment to learn new skills, including sustainability and consciousness.
Youth Education and Employment
Education and employment of the next generation is also a huge factor in improving the social, environmental, and economic state of our world. EFL Global actively supports corporate learning initiatives such as career fairs and other events organized by higher education institutions. In 2023, EFL Global supported Sustinere’23 as a Gold Sponsor. Sustinere’23 was organized by the students at the National Institute of Business Management (NIBM) – School of Business in Sri Lanka. The event focused on showcasing sustainable innovations developed by students, and EFL Global’s Sustainability team gave a presentation on similar topics.
Additionally, EFL Global was a partner of the Campus to Corporate Career Fair, organized by the National School of Business Management (NSBM) in Sri Lanka. There, the logistics provider shared valuable insights with a group of final-year undergraduates on many corporate-level topics, including Sustainability.
EFL “Next Gen”
At EFL Global, the “Next Gen” initiative was launched as an active approach to involving today’s youth in sustainable initiatives. “Next Gen” allows EFL Global to organize projects that educate children on issues like climate change and environmental conservation. Over the last few years, these initiatives have addressed issues such as clean water and sanitation in Costa Rica, disaster relief in Sri Lanka, and marine conservation and education across Latin America and the Indian Subcontinent.
The Future Generation
By including youth in sustainability projects and providing educational opportunities, they receive first-hand experience and knowledge of how they can be more sustainable and contribute to their surrounding communities. They will also learn consciousness while addressing critical environmental issues.
The role of our future changemakers in sustainable development is inevitable, and their level of knowledge and participation can make or break the progress today’s leaders have worked to reach. By providing our youngest society members with the education, tools, and participation they need to grasp topics like sustainability and consciousness, we can prepare them for their own futures on a thriving planet.
