The project of the young resident of Boyacá is called ‘Artisans of water’.
Twenty young people from eleven Latin American countries, including four Colombians, will meet until June 14 at the UNESCO Villa Ocampo Observatory in Buenos Aires (Argentina), to conclude the training, workshops and mentoring dynamics of Nestlé and the UNESCO’s ‘Impulso Joven-Because Youth Matter’ program, as well as to share the results of its innovative projects.
Twenty exceptional initiatives were selected from 919 applicants as beneficiaries of the program, of which four were presented by young Colombians. This is Sebastián Jiménez Pinzón, from Bogotá, but who lives in the department of Boyacá, with his project ‘Artesanos del agua’; Steffany Vizcaíno, from Atlántico, with ‘Plantú’; Kevin David Soto, from Valle del Cauca, with his initiative ‘Negrx, faggot, and what!’, and Sara Gutiérrez, from Antioquia, with the ‘BeOne in 3D Humans’.
Each of them has received seed capital of $10,000 to develop their project, with the aim of generating a tangible social and environmental impact. In addition, they receive support in the development, implementation and growth of projects through training, workshops and mentoring.
“Through the Impulso Joven program training, I have been able to apply different methodologies, identify key actors and improve the execution of my project. I have made adjustments to the design process to optimize materials and times. Furthermore, my team has adapted the calendar and scope of our project in this first phase,” said Sebastián Jiménez, one of the young Colombians benefiting from the program.
In this final stage of the program, which is being carried out as a pilot project of the UNESCO World Youth Scholarship Plan, the twenty young beneficiaries will meet for an entire week to exchange ideas with other agents of change and show the progress of their projects. .
In October 2023, UNESCO and Nestlé launched the ‘Youth Impulse’ program through a pilot implementation in Latin America. The objective of the program is to provide young agents of change with tools and resources to promote their social impact initiatives, because young people have the potential to create a more sustainable world and the creativity to address current global challenges.
“The importance of our collective efforts through this association is evident. As representatives of UNESCO and Nestlé, we are united by a shared commitment to harnessing the potential of young minds to drive positive change in our communities and beyond,” said Deputy Director General of UNESCO’s Social and Human Sciences Sector, Gabriela Ramos.
‘Impulso Joven-Because Youth Matter’ is part of UNESCO’s World Youth Scholarship programme, which aims to mobilize financial and in-kind support for young people around the world. It derives from the organization’s twenty years of experience in establishing and supporting youth-led initiatives and networks, strengthening the capacities of young people, fostering their knowledge production and creating spaces for dialogue between young people. , policymakers and other partners.
“This alliance with UNESCO is part of our initiative for young people. For ten years, under this initiative we have maintained a continuous commitment to improving youth employability in Latin America, impacting the lives of nearly three million young people. Congratulations to the Young Entrepreneurs! Let’s continue working together to promote entrepreneurship and build a sustainable future for all,” said the executive director of
Nestlé for Latin America, Laurent Freixe.
