According to the World Bank, over 38% of the population in Colombia live in poverty. If you are a youth aged 14-28, the number increases to over 41%. If you are a rural youth that number increases to over 44%.
Yet, while young people account for half the world’s population and are the biggest assets in a country’s development, over a quarter of all Colombian youth are unemployed. Recent estimates suggest that 600 million jobs would have to be created over the next 15 years worldwide to meet youth employment needs.
This figure is expected to rise as a fallout of the global Covid-19 pandemic. Temporary closures in more than 180 countries kept some 1.6 billion students out of school2. Many, particularly in countries like Colombia, never went back. This will be a catastrophic loss of future productivity that will rob an entire generation if unaddressed.
We are convinced of the ability of children to learn essential business skills that can change not only their own futures, but that of their family and community. If you believe in the potential that children and youth have, please consider donating today!
