Too many disadvantaged youths enter the Indonesian workforce underprepared and under-skilled.
Stella’s Child is doing something about it and we, AGY, are delighted to support them.
Founded in 2013, Stella’s Child, a non-profit charity, exists to support Indonesian youths from deeply disadvantaged backgrounds as they prepare to leave children’s homes and orphanages and enter the world of work. They equip these youths, aged 12-19, with the skills they need to succeed in life and break the cycle of poverty for themselves and their families.
Through their business-minded approach to positive youth development, Stella’s Child helps young people rediscover their dreams or create new ones, then work with them to develop the necessary experience to make them real.
As a cause close to our hearts for many years, even before AGY existed in its current form, we knew we wanted to be a part of this special organisation and aid them in any way we could.
At the beginning of 2022 we decided to do a little bit more so together we partnered up on a Youth Placement Initiative to train young Indonesians and offer them solid experience in the yacht industry that will help them work, not only in Indonesia, but all over the world.
The program consisted of basic training, in not just the yachting world but also business skills relevant in any industry and on completion we were delighted to witness many graduates successfully complete the course.
Further to that, AGY and Stella’s Child were delighted to offer one of the graduates, Kadek Rama Valentino also known as “Tino”, a 3-month internship on one of Indonesia’s most luxurious and an AGY central agency yacht, The Maj Oceanic. Tino received Basic Safety Training and certification to receive his seaman’s book and was flown to Labuan Bajo, Flores to set sail on his maiden voyage through Komodo National Park. Onboard Tino received invaluable training and after the internship ended, he retained a full-time role onboard as Deck Hand, where he is thriving with a bright future ahead.
Here is a letter from Tino describing his experience so far…
“Hello! I’m Valentino. I’m 22 years old and I’m from Singaraja.
When I’m on the boat, I work in the service position, making drinks for the guests and
serving food. I ensure the cabins of the guests are always cleaned twice a day. I assist my senior on-deck with diving and snorkelling equipment and afterwards I am ready with towels for the guests and fresh drinks in a perfectly clear lounge area. I accompany guests on treks and keep them hydrated and safe with the first aid bag in my backpack. I
like to learn about technical skills, work culture, to be confident in myself, and most
important be the best best character I can be. I wish to continue working with the same boat or maybe another. I aspire to save enough to help my father heal and for a house for my family.”
AGY Founder and long-term collaborator with Stella’s Child, James Sidoti said,
“I have been working with the team at Stella’s Child, as a mentor, for almost 7 years and I continue to be amazed by the passion they put into their initiatives. Stella’s Child is concentrating on an under exposed cause making tangible real-world differences to young people’s lives. I am personally delighted to have introduced this fabulous organisation to my colleagues and we look forward to working closely together to create a brighter future for some very special people.”
Supporting Stella’s Child is an investment in the potential of the children they work with and in the future of Indonesia. Stella’s Child’s Job Training and Internship Program (JTI) works closely with highly regarded local businesses in housekeeping, food & beverage service, food & beverage preparation, and multi-media studies.
The JTI ensures that the youth, in addition to vocational training, are fully equipped to make the most of future opportunities through supplementary training in entrepreneurship, personal finance & budgeting, office administration & management, creative thinking & problem solving, and leadership & communications. The program also includes a youth savings program to provide a mechanism for youth to begin monetary savings for their transition from high school into the workforce.
To get involved or simply learn more about the project drop us a line or visit Stella’s Child on https://www.stellaschild.org/
