Life Project 4 Youth
Committed to the professional and social integration through entrepreneurial training of young adults living in extreme poverty and exclusion in the Philippines and throughout Asia.
Marie Laure Vaganay
P&G Alumni Grant Champion
17-years with P&G France in Marketing
Marie Laure Vaganay is very active with LP4Y. She put together a team of Trustees, executive Board members and a team of 20 LP4Y “Ambassadors” with the mission to increase LP4Y awareness and raise funds. Her fundraising activities for have included Transatlantic regattas, a 900 km bike challenge, an orientation car race across the desert of Morocco and a Gala dinner at the residence of the French ambassador to the UK.
“My years at P&G have been so important to me. I created fruitful partnerships both for P&G and for NGOs. These experiences evidenced how the Corporate and Charity worlds are linked and must work together.” Marie Laure Vaganay
Since 2009, LP4Y has developed and replicated across Asia a unique professional and social integration model for extremely marginalized Young Adults known as the “Professional Training for Entrepreneurs” (PTE) program.
PTE is a 9-month pedagogical journey structured around 3 pillars: management of a micro-economic activity (pillar: WORK), improvement of their English, IT skills and professional communication (LEARN) and personal development (GUIDE). Integral to the PTE model, the Young Adults receive a weekly allowance, “Life Project Money,” which is above the poverty threshold but under the minimum wage to encourage them to seek work. Starting in the Philippines, LP4Y replicated this initiative expanding it to Vietnam, India, Indonesia, Vietnam and Myanmar. Currently, LP4Y is running 44 programs in 22 Life Project Centers.
2019 P&G Alumni Foundation grant of $25,000 will focus on training 44 young men and women inmates of 2 Philippine jails: Lapu City in Cebu and the Iligan City jail, helping them gain skills and competencies enabling them to secure a decent job once released from prison. Of these, 10 would become trainers who would coach an average of 280 inmates daily on English, computer, professional communication, business, professional behaviour and other. A prior award in 2018 paid for 60 young women (aged 17 – 24) to be trained as entrepreneurs and helped found businesses in the city of Tondo, a slum on the outskirts of Manila.
“From Poverty to Professional”
Hopeless and full of regrets. That is how Jimmy was feeling while detained in Iligan City Jail. “I was thinking that my life will end here.” Jimmy’s life is part of heart-breaking statistics – 1 out of 2 youths is a victim of malnutrition, illness or violence. And by 2025, 1 billion young people will be living below the poverty line of €1.5/day.
Life Project 4 Youth has developed a 12-month program for social and professional integration for excluded young people living in extreme poverty. Jimmy was encouraged to join the program by one of its coaches and LP4Y has made a tremendous impact on Jimmy. He credits LP4Y for all he’s learned – like handling a business, like using the 4 P’s, like encouraging customers, etc.
Now Jimmy has his own businesses – a computer shop and a barbecue stand. And he plans to invest in some more businesses.
“Thank you so much to LP4Y for believing in us and believing that we will success in achieving our dreams.” Jimmy