Renata - YCI Brazil Graduate

Renata Nunes lives with her parents in the Favela da Rocinha; a community of over 60,000 people and one of the most notorious slums in Rio de Janeiro on account of its drug trafficking problems.

Renata found out about the Youth Career Initiative programme at her community’s church group and saw an opportunity: "When I went to apply for the programme I had no prospects, I did not know what to do professionally, or how to look for a job since I had no experience."

Mohammad - YCI Jordan Graduate

Mohammad Batikha is the oldest of four children. The only source of income for the entire family was his father’s wage, which was insufficient to cover the their basic needs.

When Mohammad joined YCI, he had been applying for jobs at hotels but had not been able to reach the interview stage due to his lack of experience and skills. He was not able to study either owing to a lack of financial support.

Yalemzewd - YCI Ethiopia Graduate

Yalemzewd grew up in Golam Mikael, an underprivileged area of Addis Ababa. After her father’s death, the family moved to Higher Tena, which is another village far away from the city centre. In order to afford to support her family, Yalemzewd’s mother had to partition their small house and rent out the four small rooms.

During Yalemzewd’s participation in the programme, she showed great interest in the Finance Department, where she spent more time learning skills in the different areas, from accounting and purchasing to cost control. After graduating from the programme, Yalemzewd worked for a water company before being accepted into a graduate programme of a bank where she is now a permanent employee.