There are, however, a few who believe that for our country to achieve meaningful progress, we must change this collective mind set of our young people into a sense of concern for the state of our country and the suffering of the less fortunate. A concern that should be translated into a concrete solution - a population of young people who would not wait for other people to take action, but, as individuals, clamor and initiate change. One such institution is the Ramon Aboitiz Foundation, Inc. (RAFI).
“We want the youth to become the actors, not just viewers of things happening. We have a tendency to ask others to do the change for us,” said Consul Roberto E. Aboitiz, Honorary Consul for the Netherlands and President of RAFI.
With this in mind, RAFI came up with programs geared towards creating a population of young people who have the determination to seek and initiate change.
Such a program is Young Minds Academy.
Started in 2006, the academy is a youth development and citizenship program “aimed at developing young emerging leaders.”
“We need to get people engaged in becoming part of the solution rather than critics of the problem,” said Consul Aboitiz. “You don’t have to be an adult to be of value to society. You can be of value today.”
Ms. Evelyn Nacario-Castro, executive director for the Eduardo Aboitiz Development Studies Center (EADSC), the department handling the YMA program, said that a thrust of YMA is to promote teamwork among the young participants. This is the reason why those who join the program, join as a team.
Consul Aboitiz elaborated that in the real world, people work with other people, and there is always interaction, the reason why the youth must learn how to deal with other people. To work with different types of people, without prejudice, in order to achieve a common goal. And for RAFI that goal is nation building.
“We are accelerators. We want people to get engaged. We don’t give you ideas on what to follow; we just want you to get engaged,” he said.
So just how effective is YMA?
Benjie Belotindos, first season scholar of YMA said that since he joined the program, he was able to get a better perspective of the different societal issues faced by our country. In addition, he said that now the hopelessness that he used to feel for the state of our nation has been replaced with a more positive attitude, that development is still possible as long as “we act together.”
“I was overwhelmed. I thought it was a plain seminar. What it gave me is a general perspective of things, inspiring me to be more involved with the community and to sympathize with the people,” Belotindos said.
At present, Belotindos and his group are working on raising awareness on the importance of clean air.
Since it started, YMA focuses on a particular societal issue which the participants would tackle during the different sessions and mentoring programs; would experience during the immersion program; and would brainstorm on in order to come up with a solution. The solution would come in the form of a project proposal, the best of which would be given a grant for implementation.
This year, YMA will give focus on education and the scholars will undergo an eight-month training that include learning sessions on leadership, social development, creative thinking, research, participatory project development, proposal making, learning visits and immersion in communities and schools.
So how does YMA ensure that the scholars would apply what they have learned during the eight-month program?
“We engage them in many areas. We give them opportunities to apply what they have learned,” said Ms. Nacario-Castro.
“We are providing the architecture for participation,” said Consul Aboitiz. “Those who join YMA are not ordinary individuals. They are selected. These are people who exhibit that sense of purpose.”
“Continuous education is not something that you get and then file it in the drawer. It gets internalized. We are only planting a seed,” he added.
For more information on YMA and other programs of RAFI you may call 418-7234 or visit the website at www.rafi.org.ph/youngmindsacademy.