Youth empowering youth

Story by Miss Brianna Fruean, 14 years, Samoa

15 June 2012, Rio de Janeiro – At Rio+20 there has been a lot of talk of green economy and the youth's role in today’s world. Young people have been encouraged to take up opportunities in green jobs because they are both the answer to a sustainable earth and future.

Mr John Wali talking about Junior Achievement Africa

A young man that is here in Rio+20 has been running a program that helps in two key areas, empowering youth and green jobs.

Mr. John Wali from Kenya runs a program called Junior Achievement which empowers youth to take up green jobs. It has three key focus areas; work readiness, entrepreneurship and financial literacy.

The program has thousands of young people participating.

They recently ran an invention competition in Kenya where environment clean and friendly original inventions can be submitted for which the winners were two boys from Kenya who were awarded for their Iron Box submission.

Mr John Wali with Ms. Brianna Fruean

The iron box is an Eco friendly portable iron for kids to iron their uniform on the go. They used all three skills provided by Junior Achievement with their project. They put their time in their inventions showing work readiness and went out to schools and sold their invention showing entrepreneurship and their invention is now a business showing they used financial literacy. Their invention is now successful and the iron box is selling like hot cakes in Kenya. It's opportunities like these that Junior Achievement provides.

Green jobs are recommended to youth and with smart initiatives like Junior Achievement young people will not have a problem with getting one.

For more information about Junior Achievement Africa.