Canada World Youth (CWY) is coming back to the Coast this September.
This year's program has an eco-leadership component to help teach Canadian and African youth how to build a sustainable tomorrow.
The Canada Fund for Africa is working with CWY to support environmental action by young Africans and Canadians.
"The overall objective of the Africa-Canada Eco-Leadership Program is to enable young Africans and Canadians to co-operate, contribute and learn together on participatory environmental and community development initiatives including south/south programming. This initiative is designed to address a range of environmental issues. At the same time the experience gained by the youth, the organization and the communities involved will help build longer-term capacity to deal with these issues," said a press release from CWY.
A fundamental feature of the program this year will be "trilateral programming," which emphasizes the sharing of experience from one African country to another through south/south exchanges. Opportunities for future employment after the program is completed include areas such as food security, clean technologies, sustainable agricultural practices and environmental and cultural protection.
CWY will pair up an African participant with a Canadian participant and the pair will live together at a host home on the Coast from Sept. 6 to Feb. 26.
Participants will take part in a variety of environmental, social service and educational volunteer opportunities while in our community.
So far participants plan to volunteer their time with the Ruby Lake Lagoon Nature Reserve Society, the Bear Aware program, the Sunshine Coast Women's Resource Centre, Habitat for Humanity, the community fruit tree mapping project, Sunshine Coast Community Services, the One Straw Society, the Salmon Enhancement Society and local schools along the Coast.
Project supervisor Terence Lowe hopes other organizations with meaningful volunteer opportunities for the youth ages 17 to 24 will come forward.
"We are always looking for more ways to get involved in the community and meet our goals of focusing on the environment, social service and education," he said.
Lowe is also looking for two more host families to take part in the program.
"Family has a broad meaning to us. It could be a single person, a couple, a senior, anyone who can provide a safe and secure place for our participants. If you have a warm heart and a curiosity about the world and could accommodate a couple of active volunteers we would love to hear from you," he said.
To become a host family contact Lowe at 604-989-3381, which is a local number.
CWY is a non-profit, non-governmental organization that designs and delivers international education exchanges for youth aged 17 to 25 with a focus on volunteer work and community development in a cross-cultural setting.
Lowe is excited about the upcoming exchange on the Coast and says the experience will help participants learn how to set up their own grassroots programs once they return to their homes in February.
To find out more go to www.canadaworldyouth.org.
