BLOGS

Creating lasting change in developing communities means creating change for those communities’ young people. They will be the torchbearers of the practices put in place today, and are the future innovators for these nascent economies. Engaging youth in productive activities also has a positive impact beyond the economic sector, as youth employment can positively affect social and political stability around the globe.

For the more than 1.2 billion people in the world living without electricity, lighting at night is a huge challenge. Many rural homes rely on kerosene lamps, which cast poor light, can be toxic to their users and, when knocked over, burn some 2.2 million children a year. Among the world’s poorest people, purchasing kerosene can consume up to a third of their total income.

Inside a bustling workshop in one of the nation’s most prestigious vocational education and training centers, aspiring technical students carefully navigate metal pliers to repair a colorful array of yellow, green, black and red wiring on an electrical panel board.

Over 100 years ago, Napoleon reportedly said of China: “Let her sleep, for when she wakes she will shake the world.” In light of China’s rapid economic growth in the 21st century, the French general’s view seems justified. Although it still has deep developmental gaps, China has made rapid progress to become the world’s second largest economy as well as the world’s workshop – filling every corner of the globe with an amazing range of products.