From teaching community activism to addressing some of the social issues facing youth today throughout the region, many Eurasia Foundation Network partners have developed strong youth initiatives over the past several years.
In Russia, the New Eurasia Foundation (FNE) supports the development of community schools as a means of broadening the participation of local communities in school administration and decision-making. Community schools also unite the community in action to address specific issues its residents face. Support from FNE has taken the form of training for school officials and creation of resource centers for the schools. There have been many small successes to date. For example, one community schools in Sochi recently launched a project to support patients of the hematology wing of the local children’s hospital. Students from the school created doves from paper and sold them for a symbolic price to Sochi residents, explaining that all proceeds were to be given to the children’s hospital. The doves sold quickly, and taught a valuable lesson to the students about the power of community action. To read about one of FNE's success stories from a local activist, please click here.
Launched in 2005, Eurasia Partnership Foundation’s (EPF) Azerbaijan Youth Fund is a youth-led grant-making program that provides small grants to fund young peoples’ good ideas that benefit their communities. In this unique approach adapted from a program developed by the Community Foundation of Northern Ireland, young people themselves make the decisions about how their funds are managed, what community needs will be targeted and what projects will receive support. The Youth Fund simultaneously develops the professional skills of youth in the regions and puts tangible resources directly into their hands. The young grant committees receive training and assistance from EPF staff throughout the lifecycle of the grants program: conducting community assessments, developing outreach materials, evaluating project proposals, managing small grants and assessing project impacts. EPF has now expanded the Youth Fund program to new regions of the country and has introduced similar YouthBank programs in Armenia and Georgia.
In Central Asia, the Eurasia Foundation of Central Asia (EFCA) launched the Ferghana Valley Youth Support Program. This program aims to address many of the social issues facing youth in the Ferghana Valley region through small grants in the areas of tolerance building and conflict resolution, healthy life-styles, youth entrepreneurship and skills-building. Eight small grants averaging around $7,000 have been funded under the program. One project under the Youth Support Program was designed to provide youth with rudimentary business skills. After receiving some training, the young participants were encouraged to develop ideas for small businesses. Twenty-one of these business plans were supported with seed funding of under $50 for the purchase of small equipment and other materials. Participants took up poultry farming, manufacturing of house wares and sewing national handicrafts. In a three month period, average monthly profits amounted to over $80 per family.
