Child labor is widespread in Thailand, and it’s often young immigrants from Myanmar who are most affected. Many children are forced to drop out of school and work in the physically demanding agriculture and seafood industries. And missing school means they don’t have a chance at getting a good job later on and overcoming poverty. Win Win Wa, 16, was born in Thailand her parents are from Myanmar. After having to work as a child, she was helped into an education by a Thai NGO. Now she’s helping others understand the importance of going to school.

Listen to the report by Nik Martin in Mahachai near Bangkok:

Education for child workers in Thailand

 

Instead of surfing the web or playing soccer, 15-year-old Nicholas spends each Wednesday afternoon with an elderly widow. He lends his time and an ear – but gains in turn a completely new perspective on life.

Listen to the report by Li Fern Ong:

Coffee and cake for an hour and an ear

Islamist militants fighting in Somalia are trying hard to recruit young Somalis. But a young refugee, Shiine Ali, is determined to turn his peers away from Islamic extremism – with his hiphop music.

Listen to the report by Zoe Flood in Eastleigh, Kenya:

Somali refugee combats extremism with hiphop

Birmingham’s youth got a bad wrap after the 2011 riots. Rochelle Roberts is determined to win back her generation’s reputation. She mentors her peers who are trapped in drug-dealing and violence – but want to change.

Listen to the report by Ashley Byrne in Birmingham:

At home on the streets of Birmingham

Check out Rochelle’s music on Soundcloud and YouTube.

It was a single act of violence that changed 28-year-old John Wamelik’s life forever. At home in a country with one of the world’s most diverse populations, John is now on a mission to make Papua New Guinea a more peaceful place.

Emily Richmond has the story from Rabaul, PNG:

Bringing peace to Papua New Guinea

The “weltwärts” volunteer program from Germany’s Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development has been subject to some criticism recently. Participants say the program gives them priceless experiences.

Read the whole article.

We just discovered this blog on youths around the world who are making a difference. If you know someone changing their community, tell us about them!

Here’s the Youth Making a Difference blog.

Brazilians with an African background deal with racism and a lack of representation. Roberta heads a small NGO that works to reaffirm Afro-Brazilian identity, build girls’ self-esteem and discuss prejudice in daily life.

Listen to the report by Milton Bragatti in Sao Paulo:

Being black in Brazil

View the Frida Kahlo Association’s brochure online.

Milena Nikolic was born in the Bosnian town of Srebrenica, a place once known for its mineral springs and silver mines. Today the place is notorious as the scene of a massacre of 8,000 Bosnian Muslims by Serbian paramilitaries.

After leaving school, Milena became a social worker. Today she runs a youth club in her home town and tries to persuade young people not to leave. She believes the economic independence of Srebrenica can best be achieved through green tourism and organic farming. She also wants to revive the old mineral springs, but she faces resistance from the political elite.

Watch this DW video to find out more about how this young woman is trying to bring back life to a change in a town ruined by violence.

Youth unemployment across the Arab world is at 33 per cent, and women are most likely to fit this category. However, some young leaders are trying to turn this around, by encouraging and educating those affected by unemployment and lack of opportunity in the Middle East and turning them into young entrepreneurs.

Watch this DW video to find out more about how young global leaders are creating opportunities for young Arabs in the Middle East.