“Every youth represents one innovative idea”
Young volunteer trains, empowers next generation
Twenty-two-year-old Kannika Nhem began volunteering with Habitat Cambodia in 2019 for personal growth. And while it has been a fun way to meet new people, develop her talents and explore her interests, she remains a volunteer for another reason.
“I find that the most important inspiration now comes from my fuller understanding of the housing issue in Cambodia and all the ways Habitat works to solve it,” says the university student. “Not only is Habitat Cambodia building safe shelters and environments, but they are also helping people increase their knowledge and skills so that they can keep their income and housing stable.”
Habitat Young Leaders Build is a youth-driven effort to raise awareness about the need for decent and affordable housing in the Asia-Pacific region through a combination of fundraising, construction and advocacy activities. Since its founding in 2012, more than 17 million youth have participated. In 2017, in partnership with the Center for Creative Leadership, Habitat Asia-Pacific established the Habitat Young Leaders Build Leadership Academy to further invest in young leaders.
Through hands-on lessons, the academy empowers and equips young people to identify challenges and create solutions that contribute to improved shelters, revitalized communities and the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals. More than 14,200 young people in Cambodia, the Philippines, India, Indonesia and Nepal have sharpened and practically applied their leadership and project implementation skills since the academy’s launch.
For Kannika, the academy helped build new abilities. “I gained skills in leadership, communication, problem-solving, project management, cross-cultural collaboration, youth-mobilizing, training, community facilitation and more,” she says. “It helped me challenge myself.”
“I believe in the power of solidarity of young people in solving the issues facing us,” says Phally Yan, Habitat Cambodia’s volunteer and institutional engagement manager. “Approximately 60% of the Cambodian population is under the age of 25. This young population has the potential to contribute to Cambodia’s development and take action for our common future. And through her strong commitment, Kannika has made significant contributions toward that future.”
After completing the standard Leadership Academy courses, Kannika completed two extra days of intensive lessons to become a trainer herself. She joins a cohort of certified young people — 380 in total across the five countries — qualified to bring the program and its benefits to other young people and communities.
As a trainer, Kannika has instilled in local youth groups the importance of decent housing, the qualities of a community leader and a love for service. “The best part of it is sharing what I’ve learned and watching as young people use it to come up with solutions to the concerns in their communities,” she says.
Projects devised and implemented during the trainings facilitated by Kannika and fellow trainers have included shelter repairs; water, sanitation and hygiene initiatives; disaster preparedness planning; community mapping; and neighborhood revitalization efforts like the establishment of libraries, community gardens and recycling programs.
“Young people act as catalysts for innovative solutions to social, as well as housing, issues. Every youth represents one innovative idea,” Kannika says. “It makes me positive and excited for the future.”
