Summer series #3: Achraf and the thrill of opportunity

By

Alizée Chebboub-Courtin

Since he was little, Achraf has noticed how not everyone gets the same chances in life; how much time you spend at school, how far you can develop your interests and follow your dreams, can depend a lot on your family and the country or the town you were born in. Achraf thinks that's unfair and he aims to put it right.

Achraf grew up in France but his parents come from Morocco and they often took Achraf to their home country to see his relatives. People in Morocco have, in general, less money than people in France. As he was growing up, Achraf was aware that he had lots more opportunities to learn and do things at school in France than his cousins in Morocco.

But he also noticed how, even within one country, between children from different families or different towns in France, there could be big gaps in how easy it was for kids to get learn the things they wanted to or to start working towards their dream job.

For Achraf, who's now 24, that wasn't right. For several years now, he's been working with a group that helps schoolchildren around the world to learn things and have work experiences that they wouldn't normally have because they come from families with less money than others.

As he tells us in this week's update on the WoW! News app, his dream is that people everywhere start making sure that that kids get the same opportunities to learn, wherever they come from.

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Achraf wants people to hear his ideas for more equal opportunities. ©Learning Planet Institute.

Achraf in 3 questions:

How did you start working on a solution?

"When I was at school, around 12, they had a great idea - the youth county council. One pupil from each school went to represent their classmates. I was one of about 60 kids who worked to set up projects across the county, for example one to stop food waste. That was my first step on the way to becoming an activist."

Which person inspired you?

"Her name is Anina Ciuciu and she runs 'École pour tous' (School for All). This is an organisation that brings together young people who have a lot of problems - they might be homeless or been expelled from school. She's a source of inspiration for me, but there are also others. In general, the people I see around me who devote their time for others inspire me."

Do you have a top tip for kids?

"Get together with friends at school and try and find something that you can make better at school. S’engager avec un groupe d’ami dans sa classe et essayer de trouver ce que vous pouvez améliorer dans votre école, c’est déjà une très belle porte d’entrée dans l’engagement. Pour d’autres, ça peut commencer en étant bénévole dans une association. Et bien sûr, ma porte est aussi grande ouverte. Vous pouvez me contacter sur Instagram, c’est avec grand plaisir que j’échangerai avec vous sur comment vous pouvez vous engager à votre échelle.