A not for profit, non-religious & non-political volunteer organisation.

World Youth International Australia (WYI) is an international development organisation founded in 1988 by the Late Robert Hoey, that impacts the lives of thousands of people in Australia and overseas each year.

WYI offers people over the age of 18 the opportunity to volunteer overseas in a meaningful way. We offer a range of programs and placements to countries including Kenya, Uganda, Nepal, Cambodia and Peru!

WYI builds community development projects and has proudly opened the WYI community school in Nepal which currently has close to 400 students. In addition, WYI has established three magnificent children's homes in both Nepal and Kenya.

WYI is an exciting organisation that will be able to design a program to meet your individual needs. We are a signatory to the Australian Council for International Development (ACFID) code, and an approved AusAID organisation.

Our Location
World Youth International
18 Third Street
Brompton
South Australia 5007

Call us on: 08 8340 1266
Fax us on: 08 8340 3677

WYI is Committed to:

• Creating innovative and exciting opportunities for people to live life passionately and contribute to the global community.
  

• Enhancing quality of life, strengthening communities and reducing poverty through sustainable development projects.

 

World Youth International is a not for profit organisation promoting practical sustainability. Founded in 1988, WYI provides:

• Training and coaching programs within Australia

• Overseas Service Projects

• Overseas Action Programs
  

• Hosting Programs

• Community Development Projects in developing countries

World Youth International is based in South Australia and has affiliates in many countries around the world. These bases are staffed by people who share a commitment to world peace through understanding and exchange.

We acknowledge all people, holding none above the other. We focus on those elements that we share in common rather than those that separate us and we acknowledge the spiritual essence of mankind. Together we believe we can help build a brighter and better future for young people throughout the world.

We envisage a world in which young people grow up confident in themselves and their abilities, with high self esteem, courage and passion for their lives and the lives of all humanity. A world in which young people live in a supportive and harmonious environment receiving educational opportunities and share in a commitment to a safe, clean and sustainable future for our planet.

In 1988 Robert Hoey, a 21 year old man from Adelaide, Australia had a dream. After spending several years working with different development programs and organisations, Robert saw a need to provide young Australians with an opportunity to become involved in a program offering support and the opportunity to travel overseas. From such projects Robert felt sure that the participating young people would gain numerous skills and knowledge not easily developed elsewhere.

Unlike many people who do nothing with their good ideas, Robert took a further step and founded the non-profit organisation World Youth International.

Robert's ability to act as a spokes person and role model for young people was also identified by an American Youth Organisation, Global Discovery, who invited him to accompany them to Russia for three months to work on rehabilitation programs with young people affected by the Chernobyl disaster.

Upon his return to Australia, one of the first projects the newly formed World Youth International engaged in was a fundraising activity to financially support 15 Russian teenagers in coming to Australia for a three month cultural exchange program.

Forty committed teenagers raised over $24,000 by gaining sponsorship to ride their pushbikes between Melbourne and Sydney and Sydney to Melbourne. Aside from some corporate sponsorship towards food for the teenagers on the bike ride all monies raised were derived from the project participants commitment, motivation, desire to meet a challenge and willingness to reach out a hand of friendship to other teenagers across the world. Bike rides were held in subsequent years from Sydney to Melbourne and Adelaide to Melbourne. These rides provided Australian young people with an opportunity to challenge themselves emotionally, physically and mentally and grow hugely from the experience.

The teenagers on this project were unique and yet the qualities they shared were not. We have worked with thousands of people over the years that have responded well to the challenge of becoming involved in projects and activities that are bigger than anything they would normally create for themselves. From such involvement these participants have often found a new sense of self-confidence and motivation, and a place to demonstrate to themselves and others, what they are capable of under what are often challenging conditions.

Since 1988 World Youth International has provided many opportunities for thousands of young people and adults from around the world.

In 2002 World Youth International created the World Youth International Benevolent Trust. The organisation is the Trustee of the Trust, and is responsible for maintaining the fund and assuring that all funds received are used for the Principal Purpose being:

• to provide aid for the relief of people suffering poverty, distress, misfortune and helplessness in countries declared by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, as developing countries.

A Management Committee for the Trust has been established and directs the Trustee in the management and operations of the Trust. The Committee consists of a chairperson, secretary, treasurer and other members.

In February 2004, World Youth International's Board formally adopted its new Development Philosophy. This has given clarity to the future direction of the organisation with a greater focuses on working with communities in the area of development, rather than welfare. We believe this will allow people to take more control over their own lives and improve their future.

WYI has established WYI Nepal and WYI Kenya as partner non government organisations to WYI Australia. Both of these NGO's are self governing but work together with WYI Australia in creating sustainable community development projects. Field offices are also set up in other countries allowing our development programs and projects to work effectively.

World Youth International Founder,
Robert Hoey, born 1967- died 1996
World Youth International is an international, not for profit, development organisation:

• Approved as an Overseas Aid Gift Deduction Recipient by the Australian Taxation Department and AusAID 
• A signatory to the Australian Council for International Development
• A Charitable Institution

ABN 52 060 813 541

World Youth International has a board of Directors and a Management Committee.

Ralph Hoey AM - Chairperson

Ann Hoey - Secretary

Ben Shillito

Jessica Roberts

Adam Whitefield

Honourary Advisor to the Board of Directors

Tom Doman  -  Legal matters

Dino Criscitelli - Chairperson

Ralph Hoey AM - Secretary

Lyn Pettman - Fundraising Advisor

World Youth International has been supported by hundreds of people around the world since our beginnings. The work we are doing today would not have been possible without these volunteers and their commitment to the youth of the world.

Ralph Hoey - Finance, Major Development Projects

Jessica Stevens - Overseas Action Program Manager

Ally Wells - Overseas Service Project Manager

Terry Hoey - Finance Assistant, Marketing and Administration

Lyn Pettman - Volunteer Fundraising Coordinator. Chairperson of the WYI Fundraising 
 
Joanna Giles - Patron of the WYI Sapana Dreaming Children's Home, Gokarna Nepal

Mandy Pizzinato - Incoming Students Coordinator

Ann Hoey - Sponsorship coordinator for WYI Sapana Dreaming Children's Home and the World Youth International School, Gokarna Nepal.

Deb Hoey - Volunteer child sponsorship coordinator for WYI Owiti Children's Home, Kenya.

World Youth International is a registered non-profit charitable organisation and has all financial records audited each twelve months.

One of the qualities which makes us significantly different from other exchange organisations is that any 'profit' made at the end of each year goes towards funding our community development projects overseas. An example of this is the school and orphanage WYI has built in the community of Gokarna in Nepal.

We deliberately choose to keep our overheads as low as possible to maximize the amount of money left after expenses to go towards our overseas projects in developing countries.

World Youth International receives no external funding and relies on the generosity of people throughout the world for its work to continue. Being a non-profit organisation, any funds that are available from our programs go to making a difference to people's lives somewhere in the world.

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