How Do Teenagers Solve “Adult” Problems?

Every day you have to count down your steps till the gate of your yard. Meanwhile, your imagination  paints terrible scenarios in your head about night monsters or obstacles hidden in the dark. For most people of Luxemburg, a dangerous journey through long, unlit streets is inevitable. School students walked along this route and noticed the problem, but did not think that they would be the ones to solve it.

With every training, they were becoming more aware of the problems that surrounded them. They learned to explore them, to determine their importance. They interviewed residents to make sure that their assumptions were right. They organized public hearings to draw people's attention to the problem. 

And then the Makeathon happened. In 2 days they had to figure out the most difficult thing - project planning and pitching. Out of 40 streets of Luxembourg, the team chose 7. They counted what resources they needed, thought through every stage of their project. As a result, their idea to give their village a lit future was supported. 

They managed to convince ayil okmotu that their ideas mattered. Adults were less afraid of the dark than children and teenagers. They knew about the problem, but did not realise that it could be so serious. It became clear that elders often do not notice the fears and desires of young people. But once youth started acting themselves, the head of the ayil okmotu allocated money to illuminate the streets.

Now they have no doubt that others listen to their ideas. They have no time to doubt it. They spend all their time working on the project to make life in Luxembourg safer for everyone.

Bottles, bags and other traces of human life in the area do not surprise anyone. The amount of trash was getting bigger and bigger every day, and did not disappear anywhere. Some people were not happy about it; some pretend that everything is fine. However, few people were searching for solutions to make a difference.

For two days at the IDEA Makeathon they were working on a solution. It was a challenge. On one hand, it's easy to fight garbage -- clean  up and don’t litter. But on the other hand, people don't have motivation, time or role models to follow. 

Students were looking for a way out and found plogging! It's a combination of jogging and garbage collection. This idea was a double win. They hoped not only to clean up the village, but also to bring up a habit that is useful for people and the environement.

After their idea was supported, they started to involve more people in their pollution-resistance team. Early in the morning, they put on sneakers, warmed up at the school stadium and went on a run with trash bags in their hands. 

At first, people looked at them with no idea what they were up to. But over time people started supporting their initiative. Once again, teenagers spread an idea that matters.

All in all, IDEA Central Asia helped participants to implement 10 projects throughout Kyrgyzstan. Other teams tackled conflicts in schools, put up road signs and taught traffic rules.