YouCan Trust was very much in the foreground that evening. Wilfried Ifland, in the first part of his presentation, told the story of the motivation behind the founding of the Non-Profit Organization (NPO) YouCan Trust. As “participant” in the Expat Life (Expatriate - Wikipedia) in the 1970s and 80s, he realized that in the long run he did not want to lead such a life. His savings would have lasted till the end of his life, but he decided to branch out on a totally different way. Wilfried Ifland wanted to do something for other people by helping them to determine their own life. And by doing so, he also gave his own life a new meaning. From the original NPO “You Take Care” was born later YouCan Trust.

The first projects were in Indonesia. I a small village, he installed showers, erected walls, and put tiles on the floor. In most villages, there was only naked soil. Infant mortality was correspondingly high due to inadequate hygiene. In order to ensure sustainability, YouCan Trust started to provide an education to the poorest of the young people. A total of 12 youths were mentored over several years. They thus obtained the prerequisites for determining their own life. Also small businesses, such as a Web Design Studio in Bali or a Hair Salon in Jakarta. All were achieved with the assistance and leadership of YouCan Trust.

Entrepreneur@School

In the second part of his presentation, Wilfried Ifland explained the latest project of YouCan Trust – entrepreneur@school – a project that teaches students how the world is changing, what the demands of tomorrow will bring. A complex subject that is not easy to explain, and especially not in a few minutes. Many things are interlinked, and also global perspectives were briefly touched upon. Yet there was sufficient material for lively discussions afterwards. What do the participating students learn, how is sustainability achieved? Especially interesting were the answers given by one of the participants in entrepreneur@school. For the moment, he and his “co-battlers” are more likely to be smirked at. However, that is a good omen! What did George Bernard Shaw, the Irish dramatist and satirist say: “What we need are a few crazy people; look how far normal people have brought us”!

Next YouCan Talk in Düsseldorf: Thursday, February 4, 2009