Opening doors abroad

mueserk — Tue, 06 Aug 2013 11:52:11 +0000

Portugal’s young people are going through difficult times. Youth unemployment in the country is at over 40 percent and many of those who do stay in Portugal end up in jobs that offer little career development. What makes things even tougher is that many Portuguese youth are traditionally reluctant to travel overseas to improve their job opportunities, or even just try something new.

Gonçalo Azevedo Silva is an exception. After spending a year abroad doing a GAP Year, he founded the organization GapYear.pt. The group aims to give Portuguese school leavers a perspective, by connecting them with foundations and charities who need people to volunteer overseas.

Listen to the report by André Leslie:

Gonçalo Azevedo Silva is pictured here during his volunteer year in East Timor

More on the Gap Year website (in Portuguese.)

Education for child workers in Thailand

mueserk — Tue, 23 Jul 2013 12:32:21 +0000

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

Win Win Wa speaks Burmese, so she can help other migrants from Myanmar (Photo: Nik Martin)

work – Generation Change

Opening doors abroad

Education for child workers in Thailand