Empower and equip young change-makers to develop solutions and step into leadership opportunities.
The Goal
Empower and equip more young people to take initiative and improve their own communities.
CoalitionWILD believes that the solutions to a majority of the challenges our planet faces are already discovered, but they remain in the minds of young people who aren’t able to implement them for a variety of reasons. Haiti is a country battling the effects of climate change, deforestation, poverty, and food insecurity – great challenges that are seemingly overwhelming to tackle, especially for a young person. However, in this case, Augustin was already passionate about protecting the environment, desired to create a better future for Haiti, and saw a path towards positive impact through engaging youth in rural areas in Haiti. What Augustin lacked was a network to encourage him, personalized resources to support him, and the empowerment to confidently go after his vision.
The Solution
By offering the tools, resources, and support to do so, we are lowering the threshold for young leaders to make meaningful changes for the future of our planet.
Through CoalitionWILD, Augustin discovered the support he needed to follow his passion and develop programs to make a better future for Haiti. CoalitionWILD gave Augustin a platform to showcase his work via photos, videos, and his stories garnering him both attention and encouragement from people around the world. Volunteers reached out to Augustin to get involved in his work in Haiti, and he became connected to a network that proofread and edited grants that he applied for. As Augustin’s confidence grew, so did his program. Combining the need to address food insecurity, reforest areas that had been logged and soil depleted, and wanting to engage youth, Augustin developed a program that worked with local schools to replant native species in regions around Haiti. School children were involved in the planting and monitoring of the vegetation, creating a space for learning about environmental studies, gaining new skills, connecting with nature, and developing a commitment to protect lands in Haiti. The success of this structure is being studied, recorded, and created into a CoalitionWILD Toolkit in order to facilitate similar programs elsewhere in the world.
The Results
CoalitionWILD was able to offer a young leader the intangible elements he needed to recognize his own potential in creating change in Haiti. Augustin already had the skills, passion, and determination to make an impact on this world, and combined with the encouragement, specific support, and a network to propel person’s dream forward, Augustin is able to continue to positively affect hundreds of youth around Haiti. In addition, Augustin’s vision is being harnessed to develop a toolkit to recreate similar work in other areas of the world.
Insider Tip
- The success of localized projects hinges on the knowledge of those on the ground with key information and understanding of challenges within a community or region. Focusing on those nuances, rather than ignoring them, is imperative.
- A cookie cutter approach to any project, support, or tool will create cookie cutter results. It’s important to dedicate enough time to ensure unique needs are being met.
- The most powerful thing you can do is help somebody believe in themselves.