The contribution of young people to the development of poor countries is being recognised this International Youth Day (12 August 2011).
This year's theme 'Change Our World' aims to inspire young people to participate in initiatives and activities that can have a global impact.
Through the aid program, Australia is helping young Australians make positive changes to the lives of the poor. As part of the government's new Australian Volunteers for International Development program, Australian Youth Ambassadors for Development (AYADs) are making a positive contribution to sustainable development by working with local partners to share their knowledge and skills.
The aid program is also creating real opportunities for young people in developing countries to contribute to development through scholarships and targeted projects such as East Timor's Youth Employment Program.
Youth employment program in East Timor
Since 2008, the Australian-funded youth employment program in East Timor has created short-term jobs for 72,000 young people and helped maintain 2,600 kilometres of roads. For many young people, the money they earned from these jobs was all that stood between them and poverty.
East Timor has a high rate of youth unemployment; around 16,000 young people enter the labour market each year to chase 400 new jobs. Providing young people with job opportunities is important to ensure East Timor continues on its path towards stability and prosperity.
With so many young people entering the job market, it can be difficult to find work. When Joel Paulini, who is in his early 20s, heard about a labour-intensive public works program, he registered immediately. Within a week, more than 20 of his friends had also signed up. They worked on fixing and clearing canals and roadside drains before the start of the wet season, which prevented flooding and reduced breeding sites for disease-carrying mosquitoes.
'This initiative is very good for us young people to earn some money, even if it is little,' Joel said.
Australia is providing $9.07 million over four years (2008–12) to the Youth Employment Promotion Program (YEPP), which is funded by Australia and implemented by the International Labour Organization (ILO) and the Government of Timor-Leste. The program helps provide young people with short-term employment and practical training in areas linked to employment opportunities.
Further information about AusAID's work with East Timor
Scholarships
In 2011, more than 2,800 people from developing countries, will begin studies study and professional development in Australia before returning home to contribute to the development of their countries. Two of the youngest are Fransisca Febriana Sidjaja and Selma Amwaama.
Selma Amwaama
Selma Amwaama, an Australia Award recipient from Namibia, recently completed a Master's in Public Health (Nursing) at the University of Western Australia.
Selma has a passion for infant and maternal health, and in her home country has worked as a registered nurse and midwife.
Her education in Australia is helping her support Namibia's progress towards the Millennium Development Goals by reducing child mortality and improving maternal health.
To Selma, the Australia Awards represent a 'willingness to invest in the skills of Africans, which in the long run is a sustainable solution to the challenges that many developing countries face'.
Now finished her studies, Selma has returned home and will soon resume her work at the Swakopmund State Hospital – empowered with a greater understanding of public health and the capacity to affect change in her community.
Fransisca Febriana Sidjaja
Francisca Febriana Sidjaja (Febri) is from Indonesia. She is currently completing a PhD on autism at the University of Queensland
Febri has big ideas about working with children with disabilities in Indonesia. Her dream is for children living with autism in Indonesia to receive the same level of treatment that is available in Australia.
"I am on a journey to help and improve the condition of people with disability in my country, especially the children," she said.
Born in Makassar, Indonesia, Febri has a Master's in Child Psychology from the University of Indonesia. She was inspired to apply for an Australia Award to do more research on the support provided to children with disability after working at a therapy centre in North Jakarta. There she specialised in working with children with disabilities such as autism, cerebral palsy and hyperactivity disorders.