Kalepo, aged 26, Tuvalu

I work as a volunteer in the Youth Department of Tuvalu Christian Church, under the supervision of the Secretary of Church and Society. The main goal of my work is to empower and to strengthen young people in their spiritual and physical life. During my work we usually conduct camp, fellowship, retreat and forum for youth to participate in. Moreover, there are many challenges of the work itself and especially in dealing with youth with their problems.

Also in my typical day, I help and assist the young people in my community, and especially those who are in my Seimeana Youth Organisation, in terms of counselling, empowering and strengtheing them in many ways. I also speak on behalf of them at Island Community meetings, as well as Government functions in and out of the country.

I also spend time working with TANGO (Tuvalu Association of Non Governmental Organisation) in helping young people to stay away from smoking, alcohol and sexual abuse, etc. As a young person I do advocacy work in many different area, local, national as well as international.

Last but not least, I am a member of the Tuvalu National Youth Council and a representative of Tuvalu youth to the Commonwealth Youth Programme Regional Youth Caucus South Pacific. This is formed of young people who have committed themselves as a caucus of advocate to believing in generations beyond our own and to taking action now to ensure the world is cleaner for them.

It is amazing that the first time I heard the word Commonwealth is when I am a little boy. In school my teacher always state that during Commonwealth Day, which is the second Monday of March, is the day to celebrate the anniversary of Queen Victoria’s birth. My own understanding of the word Commonwealth can be defined as a bunch of common ideas and a group of nations linked by something that they all have in common.

The Commonwealth as a global organization embraces many of the world’s great civilizations. It believes that diversity is one of mankind’s greatest strengths.