New Student Council
Every two years, the young people of the Scholarships Programme choose the Student Council who will represent them and help make decisions that benefit them, alongside the Amantani team. “The voice and active participation of the young people is fundamental for the programme’s success. The Student Council makes sure the young people’s requests and needs are heard so that we can make decisions that support their academic, personal and employment journeys,” comments Shirley, our Transitions Project Coordinator.
This month, we held and elections process to choose the new Student Council. With the support of the ONPE (Peruvian institution in charge of monitoring national and regional election processes), the young people taking part in the process were properly trained, making sure they led a fair and transparent election.
By the end of the voting day, and with 69% of valid votes, the new Student Council, called “Young People Building the Future” was officially registered. The young people chosen were: Ruth Karina Bocangelino (President), David Quispe (Secretary), María Ttito (Treasurer), Yolanda Cconcha (Spokesperson) and Rony Quispe (Well-being supervisor).
Days prior to the council’s official introduction to the young people and their parents on Amantani’s 14th anniversary, we met with them to learn more about their motivations and proposals for the coming two years. “I wanted to work with a team of committed young people,” said Ruth Karina, President of the council. “Thanks to Amantani I am currently studying, and I believe it’s now my turn to give something back. I want to support the organisation.” Yolanda also shared this feeling.
David shared that his personal motivation was to support in problem-solving, whilst Rony mentioned that he viewed this opportunity as a great way to develop more skills. Even though being part of the council is of great benefit for the young participants of the programme, it’s also a great opportunity for the council members to work on their empathy, leadership, decision-making and problem-solving abilities, amongst many other soft skills that are needed both whilst studying and in the workplace.
“This new Student Council appears at a moment of change, in which young people are slowly returning to in-person classes. Now, more than ever, the Student Council’s participation is essential to develop strategies that benefit the participants,” said Shirley. At Paqari Wayna, the team has already begun to offer workshops on different subjects and to have in-person meetings. The Student Council wants to carry on with this new strategy. “We want to participate in workshops regarding sexual health, public speaking, and skill development. We also want to learn English,” shared Ruth Karina. “Our peers have also mentioned they want their parents to be even more involved with their education and to have more opportunities to celebrate our accomplishments, as a group. Many of our peers graduated during the pandemic and we didn’t get a chance to congratulate them in person.”
The council agrees that the hardest challenge will be to coordinate everyone’s schedule. “It’s hard to make schedules fit. Many of our peers not only study, but also work, and they can have the morning, afternoon or night shift,” says Maria. Nonetheless, virtual communication channels have made coordinating meetings easier and the council can always rely on the Amantani team if they encounter any related issues.
We would like to thank the members of the new Student Council for their will and drive to work in benefit of their peers, and for all of those who took part in our election process. We are excited to see what the future holds for the young people and for this talented, empathic and purpose-driven council!