Why giving back to the next generation matters
“Those who have a why to live for can bear with almost any how.”
— Viktor Frankl, Man’s Search for Meaning
Our lives today are full of big words like existential, purpose, equality, socialism, globalisation, and more. Everyone from your next-door neighbour to the biggest corporation is trying to find a way to contribute to the greater good of society. In these times of ups and downs, people are looking up to heroes who promise to save our world more than ever before. (According to Google Trends, the most searched themes in recent years were for “heroes” and “good”.)
While the existence of real-life superheroes can be debated upon, one thing we can all agree on is that Batman, Spiderman, or Wonder-woman were all once just children who got the right opportunity in finding their purpose to give back to the greater good.
What does greater good look like today?
From donating billions towards causes, to setting up trusts and charities, and making real commitments towards sustainability — this wave of giving back has taken on a new form as the next generation of youngsters hold the world accountable.
But what do they need for their greater good?
While the internet can be seen as the superpower of this future generation, it cannot replace the need and role of coaches in the development of their young minds. Because that is where the inequality of opportunities becomes evident — making it the main reason for the existence of organisations like JINC.
Started in 2003, JINC’s mission is to fight for a society in which your background does not determine your future, where every child gets a chance to explore their fullest potential with the help of partner organisations and coaches, all across The Netherlands, who can make a difference to their lives.
Every year schools from different parts of the country participate in JINC’s coaching program. The program matches JINC coaches with groups of children at the school. Children who are part of this program usually come from environments where they do not have role models to look up to. The coach invests time to get to know the children on a personal level so they can guide and prepare them to navigate life beyond school.
It is this intention that appealed to Shiron Boots, HR and Studio Manager at Your Majesty, to become an active coach for the children who are part of JINC’s coaching program. Shiron has been involved with JINC for the past two years and is now taking her involvement a step further by building a partnership between JINC and Your Majesty.
A large part of the coaching program, apart from having coaches collaborate with schools to coach the children, is to have companies of all sizes be a partner to JINC. The companies are meant to provide an environment where children can participate in mini internships. These internships are usually for half a day, where a few children visit the company to learn about what the company does, what kind of people work there, type of jobs they have, and what an office environment feels like. A simple half-day commitment from the company opens up a new world of possibilities for these children.
Many of the children have no idea what they want to do after they graduate from school. Most times they feel obliged to follow a certain path and miss out on opportunities for doing things in which they have real potential. Not having a coach who can help them explore the different options that are better suited for them is a huge loss to their overall development, and to our overall society.
All it takes is a few people, like Shiron, who care to spend some time offering these children a perspective and safe haven to discuss their dreams, and find out what they truly want in life.
In her short time at JINC, Shiron has built real connections with the children she is currently coaching. From the very beginning, the children could relate with Shiron and her warm energy. They bonded over music and pop culture, which was enough to show them that Shiron cares about them.
While some of them can be quite extroverted, not all of them easily open up. Small gestures like asking them questions about their interests and hobbies can get them to feel more comfortable to open up.
“Children are curious by nature. They just need someone who cares enough to answer all their questions. Being able to show them all these possibilities is the most fulfilling feeling.”
–– Shiron Boots
Sometimes it can be quite challenging to break through the cultural barriers and dig deeper to uncover the needs and talents of these children. The effort needs to be a balance of asking the right questions, but also taking the help of exercises and tools that can help open up their minds.
After one year, Shiron already sees the impact on the children. They are more open, have a broader perspective, and feel one step closer to understanding their own potential.
Every interaction counts, whether it’s with your coach or when you get exposed to different career opportunities at companies. The important thing is having exposure to these opportunities. And that is the biggest challenge that JINC faces today — finding companies and volunteers to continually support and grow their mission.
Children are the future and we need to grow their journey. All it takes is a little bit of time and minimal effort for people and/or companies to further JINC’s mission. The result, though, is a lifetime of gratitude.
“Most of us are privileged to have the support of loved ones to enable ourselves and our future. It is only right to give back some of that support to our community, to those who need it. It is a very energising feeling to be around these curious minds and feels fulfilling to play a small but significant role in creating a brighter future for helping them find their purpose.”
— Shiron Boots
How Your Majesty is giving back?
Your Majesty hosted its first mini internship with the children part of JINC’s program. Shiron, Florian, and Sjoerd spent a few hours preparing for some fun things to share that the children could take back with them as they think about what they’ve learned from this experience. Getting exposure to a young, creative work environment was an exciting experience for these children who learned about a whole new world of opportunities that they were not otherwise aware of. When we asked them what they think you need to be able to do good work yourself, one child responded, “You have to be yourself.”
Although it’s just one step, Your Majesty’s support aims to bring more awareness to JINC’s mission and create more impact on the development of these young minds.
“I learned a lot about different jobs, such as designers and producers and a lot more. It was also fun to come up with ideas ourselves.”
–– Quote from children who were part of the JINC internship at Your Majesty
Want to get involved?
Visit JINC’s website to explore how you can find different ways to give back to the next generation.
Author:
Nishita Tamuly
Contributors :
Georgios Athanassiadis
Shiron Boots
About Your Majesty
Your Majesty is a design and technology firm based in Amsterdam.
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