The Me Into An Us
Introduction
From the moment you breathe our air, you are pre-assigned into an ascribed lottery, whether you like it or not. You may bathe in riches, enjoy the privilege, and have easy, early access to necessities and beyond. Alternatively, you may be bound by geographical, ethnic, and other stratified factors and be part of a less-advantaged community. It is naturally relatable to the latter scenario as the former accounts for a ridiculous minority of our society today, which paints the picture. When we are destined to start that way, are we bound to end up this way?
Drawn from an objective perspective, the pinpoint of LEDC youth is a catalyst for congregating efforts towards ameliorating unfairness. What is fixed can’t be denied, but the screws can be unscrewed; it is just a matter of how many are willing to cooperate.
In this piece, educational access and enhancements are to be highlighted, while asking: What role can youth play in breaking cycles of poverty while defending generational rights?
Cement: The Cycle of Poverty and Educational Exclusion
It is undeniable that educational quality is directly proportional to affordability. There is a death spiral where poverty begets education and education begets poverty. One major systemic hurdle would be the government-tax-funded levied on property estates. The cycle results in affluent regions being able to motivate educators with higher salaries and fringe benefits, equip students with extensive facilities, and offer them a holistic learning environment. Without sufficient funding, the underprivileged fail to gain basic educational access. Even with national funding, rural schools and schools in urban slums are chronically underfunded. They lack basic facilities like electricity, clean water, and sanitation, suffer from severe teacher shortages, and the teachers they do have may be underqualified or unpaid for long periods, further lowering motivation for quality teaching.
Such qualities include limited skill development, especially in critical thinking and digital literacy, in today’s fast-paced digitisation universe. This, in turn, impedes access to higher education, as students from these backgrounds are naturally less competitive than wealthier candidates. Hence, as adults, they gain less income to nurture future generations, repeating the cycle.
But the crux of it all is what perpetuates the seemingly inevitable. This cycle is prominent and erodes the aspiration of youth, our future. As this system consistently fails them, they lose all hope for success, halting any possible progress.
Yet hope alone is not enough. Youth are not merely victims of this cycle; they are rights-holders. To any conscious and moral being, generational rights should refer to the entitlements young people hold not only for themselves but for future cohorts: the right to basic education, to inherit a functioning local economy, and to participate in decisions that shape their long-term prospects. When poverty blocks education, it violates not just present opportunity but intergenerational justice. Recognising this aids the change of the question from "How can youth cope?" to "What are youth owed—and how can they claim it?"
Actionable Approach: Youth-Led Impact
The key to breaking the cycle is to first revive hope within these communities. Peer-to-peer tutoring fosters connection and alleviates the lack of individual attention in impoverished classrooms. Senior or capable students can offer a helping hand on campus, after school, or personally, targeting specific needs. The more the community encourages this behaviour, the greater the effect of restoring hope, instilling the idea that the community is capable of self-sustaining and supporting itself.
And this is not a vague theory. Tangible local impact exists. In rural Malawi, youth-led "learning circles" of 8–10 students rotate leadership weekly, using locally made materials with no electricity required. In urban slums of the Philippines, older students tutor younger ones in exchange for community service credits, simultaneously building leadership skills and raising test scores. Documented cases show that approximately 80% of incoming Grade 11 students in low-income Philippine schools do not meet minimum standards in Maths and English, necessitating remedial programs as part of student success initiatives. Peer advantage also emerges when tutors and learners are similar in age, fostering social empathy, mutual resonance, and making education accessible and approachable. This all starts with the youth. They must act and take the first step to embed themselves within the community. In return, they develop a sense of leadership and confidence, preparing for future occupations, and the positive cycle repeats.
With confidence acquired, youth can take a further step: defending their rights publicly. When youth campaign peacefully for educational funding or teacher pay, they are not merely asking for help; they are claiming a right and forcing the government to take action. The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (Article 28) recognises the right of every child to education, requiring states to make primary education compulsory and free, encourage diverse forms of secondary education, and take measures to reduce dropout rates. Article 28 further promotes international cooperation in educational matters, particularly to eliminate ignorance and illiteracy throughout the world and facilitate access to modern teaching methods, with special attention to developing countries. Youth who learn this language can reframe local grievances as legal entitlements. From begging to demanding, they should gather factual evidence and appeal to the public through empathy, raising awareness of local and specific issues. Every voice counts. Through peaceful campaigns, governments are compelled to act on dire situations. NGOs may also be alerted to support educational access in LEDCs. This direct approach prompts policy changes and shines a light on the community's right to demand quality education.
Interconnection: How It All Fits
Readers need to realise that these initiatives are interconnected. A student who receives peer support may be encouraged to contribute back to the system, offering peer-to-peer tutoring once capable. That same student, now aware of their generational rights, may join peaceful campaigns to voice their community's needs. A single motivated youth can trigger both levels: local action and rights defence. The more the community encourages this behaviour, the stronger the cycle of hope, leadership, and self-sustained progress becomes. Not to mention the possibility of raising external awareness, inviting NGOs, media, or government attention, without depending on them as the primary engine of change.
It's NOT Over: A Call to Defend and Build
Are things bright for the financially disadvantaged youth of LEDCs? It would be a lie to say yes. But is all hope lost? It would be a firm NO, provided that youth act not as passive recipients, but as active rights-defenders and community-builders.
Peer tutoring restores local hope. The arduous task remains awakening the spirit of the broken, letting them know there is a way out of the remnants. But once awakened, those same youth will unscrew the bolts others believed permanent.
I hereby urge every reader, whether involved or not, to speak forth about real-time events, so that the oblivious may finally visualise the needs of LEDCs. More than that: recognise LEDC youth not as victims waiting for rescue, but as architects of their own escape, holders of rights, builders of communities, and refusers of permission. They are disadvantaged, not incapable.
