Badi Programs
The Junior Youth Empowerment Program
If the progress achieved in one generation is not to be lost with the passage
of time, any efforts in sustainable development need as a key element the
development of the capacity of young people. As a program pursued through
the formal education system in China, but developed through an informal approach
using tutors in Zambia, China, and Colombia, the Junior Youth Empowerment
Program (JYEP) bridges both types of education, with the aim of developing
a strong moral structure among junior youth and empowering them to contribute
to the advancement of their communities.
Junior youth ages 12 to 15 are experiencing a significant transition in their
process of emotional, physical, and spiritual maturation, one in which they
are beginning to understand the forces that surround them and influence their
lives. It is also a time of character molding, during which the qualities
and attitudes junior youth develop become the foundation upon which their
future development depends. Thus the JYEP fosters among its participants the
powers of perception and expression needed to understand and describe the
forces at play in society, as well as a moral structure to strengthen their
decision making and commitment to social transformation.
The Badi Foundation has already partnered with 24 local organizations in China
and 7 schools and community centers in Macau to offer the JYEP, with more
than 6,000 youth participating since 2001.