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Collibri Foundation connects young people around the world digitally
23
October
2020
Tomorrow's Voices, the annual meeting day of Collibri Foundation, could not take place as a physical event this year. But not to worry, our corporate fund saw this as an opportunity to invite even more participants than usual for a virtual edition. More than 100 young people from 14 international training projects came together digitally to exchange ideas. The theme of the day was an obvious choice: digital living and learning.
More than 100 young people from four continents
As Colruyt Group’s corporate fund, Collibri Foundation continues to focus on education and training for young people in difficult situations all over the world, even in corona times. For the first time, 14 training projects participated in the annual meeting event 'Tomorrow's Voices': Boost, Mentor-Escale, Trias, YOUCA, Rikolto, Efico, Eclosio and more.
Based in different time zones and with the help of multilingual interpreters, more than 100 young people from Belgium, Africa, Asia and South America met virtually to exchange their experiences and connect with each other. The event is a unique opportunity to be part of a global network of motivated young people and to forge links between the different training projects supported by Collibri Foundation.
Digital living and learning in corona times
The theme of the day could not be more topical: digital living and learning. WhatsApp, Zoom, Messenger, FaceTime … From digital study groups to apps that help you with school questions (Socratic) or concentration (Forest). Digital natives around the world use digital tools and online platforms to stay in touch with their classmates, friends and community during the corona crisis. Nevertheless, young people from all over the world face similar challenges in their education and studies. Those who take lessons online find it more difficult to ask for help and to understand the subject matter well. Young people are struggling with questions about how to stay focused, motivated and productive.
What we sometimes forget in Belgium is that easy access to the internet is not so obvious everywhere in the world. The students from Brazil, Colombia, Nicaragua and Peru remind us that many people worldwide have to travel long distances to access the internet. In these circumstances it is not so easy to continue studying when a pandemic breaks out. The students of Eclosio (Benin) share that they work on group tasks late in the evening because that is when the network is less congested. In Belgium, too, not everyone has access to a personal laptop or internet.
The importance of connection
There is a great need for connection. This is why it is so important that Collibri Foundation continues to bring young people from all over the world in contact with each other, so that they can share stories, connect with each other and have an eye for the common ground. Thanks to these moments of exchange, Collibri Foundation also gains insight into how the training projects can be supported even better, adapted to the current situation.