It’s been more than a year since the Deepwater Horizon disaster spilled nearly five million barrels of oil into the Gulf of Mexico. BP has since set up a $20 billion claims fund to compensate those harmed by the spill, but many of the long-term ramifications of the disaster are still unknown.
Scientists believe the extent of the damage to ocean ecosystems may not be fully realized for another 15 years. How this event will impact communities, young people, and employment in the long-term also remains to be seen.
In New Orleans, the Gulf South Youth Biodiesel Project (GYBP) is hoping to intervene in the lives of unemployed young people affected by some of the worst natural disasters in U.S. history: Hurricane Katrina, followed by Hurricane Gustav, and then the Deepwater Horizon spill. GYBP, a finalist in the Changemakers Strong Communities competition (“Engaging Citizens, Strengthening Place, Inspiring Change”), offers a training and green industry certification program for at-risk youth from 16 to 25 years of age. Many have either left school or were unsuccessful in conventional learning situations.
GYBP is also a current entrant in the Changemakers Powering Economic Opportunity: Create a World that Works competition |
“When people talk about recovery, they can often lose sight of how massive the impact of these disasters truly is,” said Arthur Johnson, ORI Chief Development Officer and GYBP’s Project Developer. “The healing of the region doesn’t automatically begin the minute you plug up an oil spill.
“People’s entire ways of life — not just their jobs — were destroyed, along with the waterways. Communities were torn apart, and adjustment to this doesn’t come quickly. This has a massive impact on home life and education. Children and young adults have suffered — mentally, physically, and emotionally.”
GYBP participants learn how to run a biodiesel enterprise in which they collect and recycle used cooking oil from New Orleans’s restaurants and neighborhoods. During the 18-week program, they engage in leadership and teamwork and build skills in communication, marketing, data entry, equipment handling and safety, and biodiesel production. Some are empowered to return to school or enroll in community college, while others are referred or supported by GYBP to acquire employment in the green sector.
“The true impact of GYBP is instilling the importance of education and training within young people who have been overlooked or bypassed,” said Johnson. “Through the program, they realize that they have options and opportunities — that if they constructively set forth upon a path to acquire the right skills, they can make a difference in their lives.”
GYBP’s emphasis on entrepreneurship, and on benefiting the community and the environment, has proven attractive to young people whose lives have been destabilized in the aftermath of the Gulf disasters.
“They look to be entrepreneurs and own their own business of some sort,” said Johnson. “But the connection between succeeding at your own business and making your community and the social aspects of your life better is new. It’s very exciting and interesting to them.”
GYBP isn’t the only organization that is powering disaster recovery by supporting entrepreneurship and employment. St. Bernard Project is connecting unemployed veterans to opportunities to rebuild affordable housing in New Orleans.
And Mercy Corps, a finalist in the Changemakers Meeting Disaster — How to Prepare competition, has been helping small business owners in Japan acquire grants from local chambers of commerce to repair their shops and repurchase crucial supplies.
All three organizations are current entrants in the Changemakers Powering Economic Opportunity: Create a World that Works competition, sponsored by eBay Foundation. Check out more market-based innovations that are creating economic opportunity and generating employment by visiting the competition site.
Photo courtesy of lumis (cc)
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