prejudice – Generation Change https://blogs.dw.com/generationchange Whether they are campaigning for free press in Zimbabwe, helping provide clean water in India, or offering free music lessons to underprivileged kids in the UK, young people all over the world are making a difference. Wed, 16 Nov 2016 16:49:27 +0000 en-GB hourly 1 Giving the homeless a voice https://blogs.dw.com/generationchange/2014/04/giving-the-homeless-a-voice/ Tue, 22 Apr 2014 13:05:00 +0000 http://blogs.dw.com/generationchange/?p=4981 Homeless people are perhaps the most marginalized group in society. Those who sleep rough on the street are often ignored by the wider public, but Paris local Martin Besson has more empathy than most.

Despite having a home to go to, the 18-year-old chose to spend a night on the street to see what it was like to be homeless. The experience was confronting, and spurred the high school student into action. Last year he launched Sans A, an organization that aims to draw attention to the plight of homeless people – by giving them a voice on social media.

Martin spends his free time getting to know the less fortunate in Paris, and uploading their stories for the public to read. The idea, he says, is to break down the barriers between homeless people and the rest of society.

Listen to the report by Fabien Jannic-Cherbonnel in Paris. 

Martin Besson

Martin Besson helps the down and out in Paris (Photo: F. Jannic-Cherbonnel)

Sans A facebook page

Sans A shares the stories and portraits of Parisian homeless people online

Martin & Cyril

Martin wants the public to get to know homeless people like Cyril (Photo: F. Jannic-Cherbonnel)

homeless

Sans A hopes to lend an ear to the less fortunate (Photo: Fotalia)

]]> Opening hearts for epileptics in Ireland https://blogs.dw.com/generationchange/2013/05/opening-hearts-for-epileptics-in-ireland/ Tue, 07 May 2013 13:47:26 +0000 http://blogs.dw.com/generationchange/?p=3585 In Dublin, Rachel Ashe was shocked when she was diagnosed with epilepsy. First by the fact that she would have to take medication for the rest of her life, but also by all the prejudice and ignorance about the disease that she encountered. So, she decided to set up her own support network – Epilepsy Ireland – and now she spends much of her time helping others with epilepsy and raising awareness about the illness that affects some 30 to 40 thousand people in Ireland. One of them is reporter Eoin Kernen, who brings us this week’s Generation Change report from Dublin.

Listen to Eoin Kernen’s report from Dublin:

Opening hearts for epileptics in Ireland

 

Rachel Ashe has exceded her own expectations (Copyright: R. Ashe)

More about Epilepsy Ireland on their website and their Facebook page.

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