The Youth Motivation Association (YMA) was formed shortly after the horrendous earthquake that shook the coast of Ecuador on 16th April 2016. YMA's vision is motivating youth to become proactive community members, who take responsibily in reigniting the culture and spirit of the town Canoa once was. The youth is the catalyst in the community. By giving them certain skillsets (mutual respect, sport
s, knowledge of agriculture, culture, ethics and english), we aim to ensure a sustainable lifestyle for themselves. At the moment we are based in Canoa, one of the most affected areas. We cooperate with and have the backing of Comparte Ecuador, Canoa Reviva, the respective government departments, such as community leaders. YMA was present before the earthquake struck, and notes the difference in the youth's capacity to occupy their free time constructively. In our post-earthquake investigations, we noticed the youth had neither space, means nor motivation to maximize their potential. Our aim is to look beyond the basic disaster response and view this as a new beginning. The parents are aware of the necesity to push their kids forward, to present more opportunities. We want to put in motion this idea of the youth creating their own recoprical goodwill and becoming rolemodels in their respective neighborhoods. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hit1tAEntPo
