Three Luther College students to empower youth in Timor-Leste and Bangladesh through Projects for Peace grants

Three Luther College students, Jose Eliano Da Silva, Kim Anh Thy Nguyen and Resana Zayan, received two grants through Projects for Peace. This global program partners with educational institutions to identify and support young peacebuilders. The $10,000 grants will fund the students’ innovative community-centered projects focused on empowering youth in Timor-Leste and Bangladesh.

Since 2007, Luther students have initiated and led 24 different summer Projects for Peace programs globally. In total, 39 Luther students have been awarded this prestigious grant to spread sustainable peace around the world.

Jose Eliano Da Silva and Kim Anh Thy Nguyen: “Empowering Timorese Youth through Enhanced Education: Building a Future of Change and Progress” in Timor-Leste

Da Silva and Nguyen’s project, “Empowering Timorese Youth through Enhanced Education: Building a Future of Change and Progress,” focuses on education, leadership training and civic engagement for high school students living in rural areas.

Kim Anh Thy Nguyen and Jose Eliano Da Silva

“We want to give young people the skills and opportunities they need to become active leaders in their communities and help shape a more inclusive and peaceful future for Timor-Leste,” the students wrote in their proposal. “We believe that empowering youth is a central pillar in creating a peaceful society, as young people are key agents of change and progress.”

In August, Da Silva and Nguyen will host a seven-day intensive training camp for 40 Timorese youth from eight high schools across six municipalities.

“I’ll focus on overall project coordination, logistics and linking the sessions to broader peace-building goals, while Kim will support the implementation of leadership and well-being sessions, and help ensure the training is accessible and engaging for all participants,” Da Silva said.

The training camp will have additional support from Timor-Leste Youth for Peace, a grassroots nonprofit organization committed to promoting peace and social justice.

“Partnering with Timor-Leste Youth for Peace felt like a natural step. We share the same belief that young people are not just the future, but also the present agents of peace and transformation in Timor-Leste,” Da Silva said.

After the camp, students will continue to collaborate with Timor-Leste Youth for Peace and use their summer training in their schools and local communities.

Nguyen, a senior from Vietnam, will travel to Timor-Leste for the first time this summer. She is partnering with Da Silva on this project because of her commitment to youth empowerment and community health.

“As a nursing major, Kim brings valuable insight into health-related challenges facing young people, particularly in rural areas,” Da Silva said.

This project is deeply personal for Da Silva, a junior majoring in economics and international studies at Luther.

“Growing up in Timor-Leste, I witnessed firsthand the inequalities faced by the youth,” Da Silva said. “I want to create a space where the youth can develop leadership skills, learn about their rights and feel empowered to drive change in their communities. This project will help them to realize the power they have to build peace.”

Resana Zayan: “Empowering Education and Community Resilience in the Chittagong Hill Tracts” in Bangladesh

Zayan’s project, “Empowering Education and Community Resilience in the Chittagong Hill Tracts,” focuses on rebuilding the Chengi Ideal School and creating a sustainable education system for the Indigenous people of the Chittagong Hill Tracts.

Resana Zayan

“This funding will enable the restoration of vital facilities destroyed during the flood, train Indigenous teachers in essential subjects, restore dorm facilities for students coming from remote areas, and provide opportunities for cultural enrichment and physical activities,” Zayan wrote in her proposal.

Zayan’s inspiration stems from a conversation she had with a high school friend from the Chittagong Hill Tracts.

“When I started thinking about the impact I wanted this project to have, I asked her, ‘What’s most urgently needed right now?’ Without hesitation, she told me about Chengi Ideal School, which had recently been hit hard by the floods,” Zayan said.

With help from her friend, Zayan contacted the school to learn more about their struggles.

“They sent us photos of students sitting in flooded classrooms, with water covering the floors and soaking through the infrastructure,” she said. “The school had already been trying to secure funding to rebuild but hadn’t found any support. That’s when I knew this was the right place to focus our efforts.”

The short-term goal is to repair classrooms, establish a library, provide wifi connectivity and upgrade an existing dormitory with a kitchen. The long-term goal is to establish a sustainable education system for Indigenous children by enhancing teacher training, improving dormitory facilities to boost student retention and providing transportation for students from remote areas.

“The need is connected to the broader challenge of providing education to a marginalized population already facing the impacts of climate vulnerability,” Zayan said.

Zayan is a senior majoring in visual communication at Luther. This summer, she will facilitate her project remotely. She feels humbled and honored to have her project selected for a grant.

“Having this project recognized feels like a powerful step toward shedding light on a region that’s been in the shadows for too long,” she said. “This recognition gives me hope that people are ready to listen and stand in solidarity with communities that have been excluded for far too long.”

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