Latest news with #YoungProfessionals
Yahoo
21-06-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Community collaboration crucial in addressing homelessness in Abilene
ABILENE, Texas () – Young professionals gathered at the Community Foundation of Abilene for an 'Abi Chat' during the Abilene Young Professionals luncheon. Networking took a purposeful turn to address homelessness through collaboration with the West Texas Homeless Network. The West Texas Homeless Network (WTHN) is a coalition of organizations dedicated to advocating for action that realigns systems and resources to end homelessness in Abilene, rather than merely managing it. The WTHN is neither a non-profit nor a for-profit organization; instead, it focuses on helping communities prevent and eliminate homelessness through collaboration and strategic planning. The Executive Director of Abilene Hope Haven shared why events like this are important in keeping the conversation with the public and continuing to address the needs of the Big Country Homeless community. 'We have a great network of people. We always are going to need to fill different gaps, depending on what's going on in the climate of our community. But we have a wealth of providers in the network that are really good at doing a holistic approach to those experiencing homelessness,' Horton shared. Horton says the Abilene community's wealth of resources and willingness to work together are its strengths. Whether a person needs help with mental health, food insecurity, substance abuse, or any number of issues that homeless neighbors face, the network is ready and willing to step in. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Al Jazeera
13-06-2025
- General
- Al Jazeera
How deadly Air India crash shattered dreams, wiped out entire families
Ahmedabad, India — For the Patel family, April was a month of answered prayers. The news arrived in a simple email: their son, Sahil Patel, had won a visa lottery. He was one of 3,000 Indians chosen by a random ballot for a coveted two-year United Kingdom work visa, under the British government's India Young Professionals Scheme. For the 25-year-old from a middle-class family, it was a pathway from a modest home in Sarod village, 150km (93 miles) from Ahmedabad, the biggest city in the western Indian state of Gujarat, to a new life in London. For his family, the visa was the culmination of every prayer, a chance for the social mobility they had worked their whole lives for. But less than two months later, that excitement has turned to grief: Sahil was one of the 241 people on Air India 171 who died when the plane crashed into a medical college's hostel just outside Ahmedabad airport on Thursday, June 12, seconds after taking off. Only one passenger survived India's deadliest aviation disaster in more than three decades. Dozens of people on the ground were killed, including several students at BJ Medical College, when the plane erupted into a ball of fire after crashing into their mess. Several others were injured, many of them still in critical care. Those killed on board include young students on their way to London on scholarships, a family returning home from a wedding in Gujarat, another that was visiting India for Eid, and those like Sahil whose families believed they had won the luck of a lifetime. In the mess hall at Gujarat's oldest medical school, Rakesh Deora was finishing his lunch along with more than 70 other medical students. From a small town in Bhavnagar in southeastern Gujarat, Deora was in the second year of his undergraduate studies – but, friends and family recalled, did not like wearing his white coat. When the plane struck the building, he was killed by the falling debris. In the chaos that followed, many of the bodies – from the plane and on the ground – were charred beyond recognition. Deora's face was still recognisable when his family saw his body. At the Ahmedabad Civil Hospital, five hours after the crash, another family rushed in. Irfan, 22, was an Air India cabin crew member, his uniform a symbol of pride for his family. They rushed to the morgue, unaware of what they were about to face. When an official showed Irfan's father his son's body – his face still recognisable – the man's composure shattered. He collapsed against a wall, his voice a raw lament to God. 'I have been religious my whole life,' he cried, his words echoing in the sterile hallway. 'I gave to charity, I taught my son character … Why this punishment upon him? Why my child?' Beside him, Irfan's mother refused to believe that her son was dead. 'No!' she screamed at anyone who came near. 'He promised he would see me when he got back. You're lying. It's not him.' For another family, recognition came not from a face, but from a small, gold pendant. It was a gift from a husband to his wife, Syed Nafisa Bano, and it was the only way to identify her. Nafisa was one of four members of the Syed family on board, including her husband Syed Inayat Ali, and their two young children, Taskin Ali and Waqee Ali. They had been buzzing with excitement, talking about their return to London after spending a wonderful two months in India celebrating Eid al-Adha with their relatives. On Thursday, their family in Gujarat huddled together in the hospital corridor in mourning, the laughter they had shared consigned to memories. Just 500 metres from the main crash site, rickshaw driver Rajesh Patel was waiting for his next customer. The 50-year-old was the sole earner for his family. He wasn't struck by debris, but by the explosion's brutal heat, which engulfed him in flames. He now lies in a critical care unit, fighting for his life. His wife sits outside the room, her hands clasped in prayer. In the narrow lanes of the Meghaninagar neighbourhood near the crash site, Tara Ben had just finished her morning chores and was lying down for a rest. The sudden, deafening roar that shook her home's tin roof sounded like a gas cylinder explosion, a familiar danger in the densely packed neighbourhood. But the screams from outside that followed told her this was different. 'Arey, aa to aeroplane chhe! Plan tooti gayo! [Oh, it's an aeroplane! It's a plane crash!]' a man shrieked in Gujarati; his voice laced with a terror she had never heard before. Tara Ben ran out into the chaos. The air was thick with smoke and a smell she couldn't place – acrid and metallic. As she joined the crowd rushing to view the crash site, a cold dread washed over her – a mix of gratitude and guilt. It wasn't just for the victims, but for her own community. She looked back at the maze of makeshift homes in her neighbourhood, where hundreds of families lived stacked one upon another. 'If it had fallen here,' she later said, her voice barely a whisper, 'there would be no one left to count the bodies. God saved us, but he took so many others.' Veteran rescue worker Tofiq Mansuri has seen tragedy many times before, but nothing had prepared him for this, he said. For four hours, from mid-afternoon until the sun began to set, he and his team worked in the shadow of the smouldering wreckage to recover the dead with dignity. 'The morale was high at first,' Mansuri recalled, his gaze distant, his face etched with exhaustion. 'You go into a mode. You are there to do a job. You focus on the task.' He described lifting body bag after body bag into the ambulances. But then, they found her. A small child, no more than two or three years old, her tiny body charred by the inferno. In that moment, the professional wall Mansuri had built to allow himself to deal with the dead, crumbled. 'We are trained for this, but how can you train for that?' he asked, his voice breaking for the first time. 'To see a little girl … a baby … it just broke us. The spirits were gone. We were just men, carrying a child who would never go home.' Mansuri knows the sight will stay with him. 'I won't be able to sleep for many nights,' he said, shaking his head. By 7pm, five hours after the crash, ambulances were arriving at Ahmedabad Civil Hospital in a grim procession, not with sirens blaring, but in a near-silent parade of the dead. Inside the hospital, a wave of anguish rippled through the crowd each time the doors of the morgue swung open. In one corner, a woman's voice rose above the din, a sharp, piercing cry of accusation. 'Air India killed him!' she screamed. 'Air India killed my only son!' Then she collapsed into a heap on the cold floor. No one rushed to help; they simply watched, everyone struggling with their own grief. Dozens of families waited – for a name to be called, for a familiar face on a list, for a piece of information that might anchor them amid a disorienting nightmare. They huddled in small, broken circles, strangers united by a singular, unbearable fate. Some were called into small, sterile rooms to give DNA samples to help identify their dead relatives. Then an official's announcement cut through the air: identified remains would only be released after 72 hours, after post-mortem procedures. As the night deepened, some relatives, exhausted and emotionally spent, began their journey home, leaving one or two family members behind to keep vigil. But many refused to leave. They sat on the floor, their backs against the wall, their eyes vacant. While some families still cling to the fragile hope of survival, such as in the case of Rajesh Patel, the rickshaw driver, others are grappling with the grief differently. Away from the hospital's frantic chaos, Sahil Patel's father Salim Ibrahim was away in his village, calm and composed. Over the telephone, his voice did not break but remained chillingly calm, his grief masked by a single practical question. 'Will they give him back to us in a closed box?' he asked. 'I just … I cannot bear for anyone to see him like that. I want him to be brought home with dignity.' The visa that promised a new world to Sahil is now a worthless piece of paper. The plane was a Dreamliner, an aircraft named for the very thing it was meant to carry. The dream of London has dissolved into a nightmare in a morgue. And in the end, all a father can ask for his son is the mercy of a closed lid.
TimesLIVE
20-05-2025
- Business
- TimesLIVE
Future of Jobs Summit: driving public-private action to tackle youth unemployment in SA
Spearheaded by the Future Leader Forum, the Future of Jobs Summit is a bold new initiative to help turn the tide on SA's youth unemployment crisis. Taking place on May 22 and 23 in Johannesburg, the summit will bring together influential public and private sector leaders from SA and abroad to co-create the jobs of the future — with a firm focus on youth employment, digital skills and scalable solutions. Leading technology giant SAP, alongside major job creation enablers such as Adcorp, DP World, Workday and FNB, will unveil their bold strategies and pragmatic programmes for attracting, developing, and retaining top talent in an increasingly competitive global market. SAP in particular will showcase its globally acclaimed Educate to Employ and Young Professionals Programmes, which have already equipped thousands of young Africans with in-demand digital skills and meaningful career pathways. These initiatives are helping to create an inclusive talent pipeline that fuels both local innovation and international competitiveness. A national mandate to mobilise jobs for youth Founder of the Future Leader Forum, Dr Nik Eberl, says the Future of Jobs Summit is not another policy talk shop — it is a high-impact platform for action and alignment. The Future of Jobs Summit is about co-creating jobs of the future through partnerships that work — and delivering those solutions at scale Dr Nik Eberl, founder of the Future Leader Forum Bringing together CEOs, ministers, labour leaders, skills providers, and community champions, the summit is structured around a singular mission: to create a sustainable and inclusive South African workforce. 'Youth unemployment is the greatest threat to our democracy — and the greatest opportunity to unlock national prosperity,' says Eberl. 'This summit is about co-creating jobs of the future through partnerships that work — and delivering those solutions at scale.' From dialogue to delivery: backed by the G20-T20 engagement track The Future of Jobs Summit is an official T20 Site Event (T20 being the think-tank of SA's G20 presidency) and will feed into the global G20-T20 agenda. The official summit outcomes report — capturing the top job-creation strategies, public-private partnerships, and sectoral pledges — will be presented to: The office of the presidency; The parliament of SA; and The G20 Plenary in November 2025. The summit is aligned with the G20's global commitment to inclusive growth, skills development, and job creation for the youth, making SA a leading voice in shaping a more resilient future of work. Success models already emerging: GBS and beyond SA's Global Business Services (GBS) sector is a standout success story that will be reviewed at the summit. With strong government support, global investment, and a young, trainable workforce, the GBS industry has already created over 150,000 youth jobs and is on track to deliver 500,000 jobs by 2030. 'GBS shows us what's possible when government, business, and skills providers align around a shared goal,' says Eberl. 'We must now apply that same formula across high-growth sectors — from tech and tourism to renewable energy and the care economy.' Call to action for leaders and changemakers The summit will feature: The CEO dialogue, leadership roundtables and panel discussions. Job creation success stories from the private sector as well as national, provincial and local government. A National Jobs Dashboard launch to track commitments and progress. 'We are building a movement of hope,' says Eberl. 'The Future of Jobs Summit is about giving our youth a future worth staying for — and showing the world that SA is ready to lead. We are thrilled to have representation from the public, private and nonprofit sector, including social entrepreneurs participating.'
The Star
14-05-2025
- Business
- The Star
Future of Jobs Summit aims to tackle youth unemployment in South Africa
As South Africa grapples with the stark reality of youth unemployment, the Future of Jobs Summit is gearing up to present a strategic response aimed at igniting job creation and enhancing digital skills among the country's young population. Organised by a coalition of technology leaders, including SAP, Adcorp, DP World, Workday, and FNB, the summit seeks to unite the country's most influential minds in both the public and private sectors. Future of Jobs Summit founder, Nik Eberl, emphasises that this initiative transcends mere discussion. 'It is not another policy talk shop; it is a high-impact platform for action and alignment,' he states, underscoring the urgency of collective efforts to tackle the pressing issue of youth unemployment. Eberl believes that 'youth unemployment is the greatest threat to our democracy and the greatest opportunity to unlock national prosperity.' Central to the summit's agenda is the unveiling of innovative strategies and programs designed to attract, develop, and retain top talent. SAP will take the spotlight with its acclaimed Educate to Employ and Young Professionals Programmes, aimed at equipping thousands of African youths with vital digital skills and pathways to meaningful careers. 'These initiatives are helping to create an inclusive talent pipeline that fuels both local innovation and international competitiveness,' Eberl explains. The summit is an official event under the T20 framework, the Think Tank of South Africa's G20 Presidency, reinforcing its alignment with the global agenda for inclusive growth, skills development, and job creation for the youth. With the outcomes report set to be presented to key stakeholders, including the Office of the Presidency and Parliament of South Africa, the summit aims to foster robust public-private partnerships. Further addressing the overarching theme of inclusivity, the initiative will spotlight South Africa's thriving Global Business Services (GBS) sector. This sector is lauded as a success story in job creation, having already generated over 150,000 youth jobs and targeting an impressive 500 000 jobs by 2030 with strong support from government and global investors. 'GBS illustrates the potential that thrives when government, business, and skills providers align around a shared goal. We must now apply that same formula across high-growth sectors from tech and tourism to renewable energy and the care economy,' Eberl urges. As the summit approaches, anticipation builds around its potential to create scalable solutions and partnerships that can turn the tide on South Africa's high unemployment rate. With a firm focus on youth employment and digital skills development, the Future of Jobs Summit stands as a beacon of hope in the ongoing effort to build a more resilient and inclusive workforce. Scheduled for May 23, 2025, the summit is set to bring together leaders from government, business, and civil society to address South Africa's unemployment crisis with actionable strategies and innovative partnerships. The Star [email protected]
IOL News
14-05-2025
- Business
- IOL News
Future of Jobs Summit aims to tackle youth unemployment in South Africa
As South Africa grapples with the stark reality of youth unemployment, the Future of Jobs Summit is gearing up to present a strategic response aimed at igniting job creation and enhancing digital skills among the country's young population. Organised by a coalition of technology leaders, including SAP, Adcorp, DP World, Workday, and FNB, the summit seeks to unite the country's most influential minds in both the public and private sectors. Future of Jobs Summit founder, Nik Eberl, emphasises that this initiative transcends mere discussion. 'It is not another policy talk shop; it is a high-impact platform for action and alignment,' he states, underscoring the urgency of collective efforts to tackle the pressing issue of youth unemployment. Eberl believes that 'youth unemployment is the greatest threat to our democracy and the greatest opportunity to unlock national prosperity.' Central to the summit's agenda is the unveiling of innovative strategies and programs designed to attract, develop, and retain top talent. SAP will take the spotlight with its acclaimed Educate to Employ and Young Professionals Programmes, aimed at equipping thousands of African youths with vital digital skills and pathways to meaningful careers. 'These initiatives are helping to create an inclusive talent pipeline that fuels both local innovation and international competitiveness,' Eberl explains. The summit is an official event under the T20 framework, the Think Tank of South Africa's G20 Presidency, reinforcing its alignment with the global agenda for inclusive growth, skills development, and job creation for the youth. With the outcomes report set to be presented to key stakeholders, including the Office of the Presidency and Parliament of South Africa, the summit aims to foster robust public-private partnerships. Further addressing the overarching theme of inclusivity, the initiative will spotlight South Africa's thriving Global Business Services (GBS) sector. This sector is lauded as a success story in job creation, having already generated over 150,000 youth jobs and targeting an impressive 500 000 jobs by 2030 with strong support from government and global investors. 'GBS illustrates the potential that thrives when government, business, and skills providers align around a shared goal. We must now apply that same formula across high-growth sectors from tech and tourism to renewable energy and the care economy,' Eberl urges. As the summit approaches, anticipation builds around its potential to create scalable solutions and partnerships that can turn the tide on South Africa's high unemployment rate. With a firm focus on youth employment and digital skills development, the Future of Jobs Summit stands as a beacon of hope in the ongoing effort to build a more resilient and inclusive workforce. Scheduled for May 23, 2025, the summit is set to bring together leaders from government, business, and civil society to address South Africa's unemployment crisis with actionable strategies and innovative partnerships. The Star
