My GCM Experience by Leo Duarte
I first heard about GCM from an email that a friend of mine sent to me. She wrote: “Leo, you always say you want to change the world, right? This might be a good opportunity. Check it out.”. Then there was a link to apply for the Latin America Youth Summit.
This was way back in 2010. At that time I was a serial volunteer which basically meant I would hold on to every volunteer opportunity I had. From organizations working with HIV patients to grassroots projects to tackle climate change in our local communities, I got to experience hands-on the challenges we face on a daily basis. I was trying to learn as much as I could so I’d be able to figure out what I wanted to do with my life. That’s when I went to the summit.
Being part of a GCM event is — I don’t want to say it, because I feel this expression is too often used for everything nowadays, but hey in this case it’s so true — a life changing experience. We got to meet young people across the world who are truly making a difference in their communities. I was so impressed to see the projects they were developing: disaster relief through music in Haiti, social platforms to lobby for more government transparency in Paraguay, empowering kids from low income communities in Nepal and Bangladesh to make documentaries sharing their stories and these are just a few examples. But it wasn’t all about inspiration, at the core of GCM is action! We had training to develop crucial skills to take our work to the next level and the support from a global family.
At the end of the summit with fellow GCMs from 4 countries we presented our Regional Action Project (RAP): Be the Change — an after school project aimed to develop skills and competencies of the future for kids at public schools. Just like that, I had found my passion and since then I’m an education entrepreneur.
I guess this is what GCM does… it connects you to people who truly believe that they are here to make a difference and are highly committed to build this better world. I am, we are here for you… are you ready for us?
Global Changemakers has an unshakeable mission of supporting youth to create positive change in their communities. A global pioneer in supporting youth-led development, they have trained youth from over 180 countries and provided grants to over 360 youth-led projects, which have had a combined impact on over 6,2 million people. www.global-changemakers.net
DISCLAIMER: The views expressed in this article belong to the writer and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editor or Global Changemakers.
