Youth In The News: 7 Steps To Follow If You Want To Be A Homeowner

Tanzanian Youth will get $4.7 million from the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC)

Last week in Dodoma, the capital city of Tanzania, the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC) announced a new injection of financial support for the OYE project – the project that targets the Millennials of Tanzania. OYE is a unique and innovative model for youth employment, and it is being implemented in Dodoma, Manyara, Singida, Tabora, and Shinyanga. The full name of the project says it all: the Opportunity for Youth Employment, and it seems to be one of the best models for resolving the issue of youth unemployment in Tanzania. The project involves training youth for income-generating projects in agriculture, sanitation, and renewable energy. The OYE project was launched in 2013, and it has proven to be successful enough to get a new boost in the amount of $4.7 million. More than 20,500 Millennials will directly benefit from this project – a very big group, and a big step towards meeting the project’s overall goals.

Originally published at AllAfrica.com.

Millennials will save the oceans!

Last week, as you all know, we observed World Ocean Day on June 8. With that significant date in mind, we present to you this story about, well, our generation and the determination to save the oceans. Many people would say we are too young, too selfish, and too consumed with social media to care, but here a few examples to prove them wrong. Delaney Reynolds is an author and illustrator who has published three children’s books and a comic book on environmental and ecology topics. She is also a graduate of the University of Miami’s Summer Scholar’s Program, where she obtained a Certificate in Marine Biology. And she participates in The Cleo Institute Youth Task Force. That is not all: Delaney is also a Dream in Green Youth Ambassador and a TEDx speaker; and did I forget to mention she is a high school junior? She is the founder of The Sink or Swim Project. D’amy Steward on the other hand is an 18-year-old ocean conservationist who decided to reach out to Sailors for the Sea (SFTS) in 2014 with ideas so great that they decided to appoint her as the first SFTS student ambassador. The work of these young Millennials could be used to write a novel, however use them as an inspiration to show what can be done and to work on your own to save our oceans and to prove Millennials better than all other generation when it comes to environmental issues.

Originally published in Huffington Post.

Seven steps to follow if you want to be a homeowner

In our previous posts we have discussed the issue of homeownership and how it is becoming more and more difficult for young people to afford a house. This week we present to you a few tips and tricks from the founder of OpenHouse, a real-estate search company from sunny California. These are all designed for Millennials, so take the time to read them. First of all Don’t wait: now this tip applies only to those who have a stable job and who are not planning a career change in the near future. Buy that house now and take advantage of tax deductions on mortgage interest. Define your objectives: this is one of those obvious bits of advice, but we tend to forget to take the time and consider what we need, what we want, and what we can afford. Speaking of which, the next tip is to Make sure you can afford it: again, take the time to consider all your expenses and your income sources to be sure you can pay all your bills at the end of the month. Work with a qualified real estate agent: we are the know-it-all generation or the google-generation, I know, but when it comes to huge investments like this, experience is what we lack, so use the knowledge and experience of a real estate agent – you won’t regret it. The next two tips don’t need an explanation: choose your neighborhood wisely and take your time finding a home. And last but not least: Do not bypass the inspections – we do believe we can fix the roof and solve the plumbing issues, but let’s face it, YouTube tutorials don’t help all the time. So Millennials, you are all set to go on a shopping adventure to find your home.

Originally published at NerdWallet.com.

Living with your parents – why not?

Now if our previous news story is not really compelling to you, let’s talk about the decision to stay and live with your parents. First of all, this topic was chosen to continue our tradition of presenting surveys about the Millennials, and this U.S.-based survey was shocking to most Americans: it showed that more young Americans than ever are living with their parents. The survey targeted young adults 18-34 years old, and it caused a fuss because American culture and tradition is to move out and go far away from home as soon as you are 18. We need to face the fact and say the evident: there is nothing wrong with living at your parents’ house for as long as you want. On the contrary there are a lot of benefits – it’s cheaper, it creates a better relationship with your loved ones, it’s safer, and it teaches you about responsibilities and life as much as living on your own. Now we won’t tell you what to do and what to choose: renting, buying a house, or staying home. But we want you to remember that all the above mentioned choices are perfectly fine, and we want to encourage you to choose what is best for you. You are a Millennial – be what you want, and live where you want.

Originally published at Slate.com.

Street art to the rescue!

Now I don’t know where you live, but I bet your town/city has 1. Bus stops; 2. Artists; 3. At-risk youth and 4. People with disabilities. What do you get when you combine these common ingredients that are found in every local community? Usually you get nothing, but in Darwin, in Australia’s Northern Territory, one artist has made sure you get something special. Social worker and artist David Collins started and led a project to paint murals on the bus stops in Darwin with the help of at-risk youth and people with disabilities. Street art, as all Millennials know, has its rules. But just in case we have adults reading, let’s explain: one of the basic rules of street art and graffiti culture is that if you cannot do better you don’t touch it. So basically David decided to paint awesome murals on bus stops with the great goal of making these social categories feel more included in their local community, to make them proud of their work, and to make them feel wanted and needed. The results are awesome, and the government is obviously interested in expanding the project and giving more funds for it. Now, I am pretty sure David won’t mind if you use his idea and plan to do the same in your local community. Are you up for it?

Originally published at ABC.net.au.

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