Last Friday I was one of 3 judges of the first Youth Change Agents event to be held in the region. Instead of me writing about the extremely valuable experience it was for the 36 students who attended the 2.5 days workshop I felt it better to read what one of the participating students thought of it. With corporate support more of these workshops can be held in this region.
‘Be the change you wish to see in the world’. It was these words of Ghandi which resonated with me over my time at the Young Change Agents event last week. This event was a truly motivating, inspiring and empowering program where participants pitched a social enterprise idea to a panel of judges with the enterprise aiming to resolve an issue which affects our community. This event gave the youth of Rockhampton a platform where our opinions would not go unheard, and our ideas could amount to something, hopefully creating real change on the issues which matter to us.
The two and a half day program, which took place at Rockhampton High School welcomed students with an idea, capturing their motivation and transforming them into eager, inspired and socially aware entrepreneurs. The organisers of the event showed us the lengths to which our ideas could change the world which we live in and inspired each and every one of us to make the most of this opportunity, so that the issues we face today will have a solution for tomorrow.
With this in mind the group identified problems such as; violence, homelessness, bullying, pollution, racism, drug use, gender inequality, obesity, protecting marine wildlife and unemployment as some of the pressing issues which our community faces. However, for my group finding a solution was overwhelming to say the least. As we looked at the enormity of the issues and our insignificance we found ourselves asking, ‘How can three kids with only a notebook and pen to their name solve an issue as big as those we were identifying?’ However the fire in our bellies, the guidance of the organisers, and maybe that little hint of competitiveness drove us to take on such a big task as our group aimed to create gender equality by abolishing gender stereotypes in marketing. Creating the social enterprise idea we called ‘Breaking Barriers’ which planned to sell gender neutral cosmetic products without the stereotypical pink and flowery packaging for women and the blue, rugged, tough packaging for men. ‘Breaking Barriers’ achieves this by using only simple packaging and effective products to show the world that you can be different and do not have to conform to gender stereotypes.
Through the help of Young Change Agents all the participants have learnt the valuable skills of effective marketing channels, identifying the correct consumer, understanding cost structure and many other business skills. However, most importantly we have become more socially aware by identifying some of the issues affecting the Rockhampton Region. This event has left all those involved yearning to take action to create change in the community, eager to find solutions to the big issues.
Adelaide Lapere