The International Youth Foundation (IYF) has announced the creation of a new fund to speed support to young entrepreneurs and community leaders who are taking on the COVID-19 crisis around the world. The Global Youth Resiliency Fund will put resources swiftly and securely in the hands of youth-led ventures—both social enterprises and nonprofits—delivering vital work in response to the pandemic. Designed to pool donors’ contributions to multiply investment where it matters most–at the grassroots level—the fund will increase impact while streamlining processes and minimizing redundancies. In establishing the Global Youth Resiliency Fund, IYF is re-emphasizing its 30-year commitment to stand by, for, and with young people as they seek to create—and re-build, where necessary—a world they want to live in.
“The COVID-19 crisis is affecting the world in unprecedented ways,” said IYF President & CEO Susan Reichle. “In addition to massive health and financial consequences, the pandemic has revealed deep structural defects in our social, educational, and political systems. But remarkably, in the face of this breakdown, we are suddenly witnessing a groundswell of resilience that is mitigating some of the challenges wrought by the virus. The engine propelling this movement is young people. They are exercising their agency, responding to emergent needs in their communities, and adapting to prepare for longer-term challenges. We created the Global Youth Resiliency Fund to recognize the leadership and innovation of these young people, and we invite donors to help us accelerate their grassroots efforts with much-needed financial support.”
While IYF’s Global Youth Resiliency Fund may be regionally or topically focused to align with funders’ geographic or thematic interests, it will primarily support youth-led work in these areas:
- Closing health and nutrition gaps: Youth-led organizations are providing badly needed access to food, healthcare, hygiene products, and basic mental health support in vulnerable communities.
- Unlocking access to livelihoods: With economic gaps worsened by the pandemic, youth-led efforts continue to forge creative pathways to income. Approaches include pivoting to new business models, developing cost-effective methods to sustain farming communities, and utilizing e-commerce to bring local products to market.
- Ensuring children can learn: With nine in 10 children now out of school worldwide–and while we await systemic responses to resuming formal education–youth-led organizations are promoting innovative ways to learn.
- Expanding access to reliable information: The crisis has revealed how the lack of accessible, timely, and dependable information can heighten barriers from healthcare to voting. Youth-led solutions for information dissemination are activating a more engaged and democratic citizenry.
- Protecting human rights: Youth-led organizations are defending the rights of the most disadvantaged who are exceptionally vulnerable in the face of the pandemic. The fund will support efforts to secure more equitable and just treatment for all.
Long before the coronavirus crisis painfully laid bare many long-standing social inequities, youth-led ventures have been tackling these challenges–from gender and racial inequality to the digital divide. Along with inherent values such as inclusivity, digital connectivity, and concern for transparency and justice, young people have the resourcefulness and vision to develop solutions tailored to local challenges. Young changemakers also have the nimbleness to pivot in innovative ways to respond to emergent needs in their communities.
Drawn from IYF’s global network, these examples of youth-led ventures clearly demonstrate the flexibility and creativity of young people during the current crisis...