Message from the Co-Founders

“We cannot always build the future for our youth, but we can build our youth for the future. ” – FDR

In 2017, a group of like-minded passionate individuals envisioned an organisation that would bring together youth in the Asia Pacific region to exchange ideas on future socio-economic developments, and to raise awareness of youth-related matters.

Today’s youth face unprecedented challenges in a volatile and competitive landscape. To cope with the ever-changing environment, the Asia Pacific Youth Development Foundation (AYF) is set to provide a platform, where innovative spirits can come and learn from one another, to join hands in creating positive impacts and changes to our communities as future leaders.

We welcome passionate youth from all walks of life to join us in this journey. Because we believe diversity, active listening, and collaboration are keys to building a brighter future — together.

Wilson Wong

Asia Pacific Youth Development Foundation
Co-Founder & Chairperson

Our Vision Statement

Established in 2017, Asia Pacific Youth Development Foundation (AYF) has been dedicated to empower young people through unlocking their leadership potentials, creating a positive impact on the community and enhancing opportunities for a better future.

The Asia Pacific region has progressed rapidly in the past years, attaining economic prosperity and technological advancement. Meanwhile, there remains a yawning wealth gap between the haves and have-nots. The economic disparity has limited the opportunities that could be accessed by the poorer end of the spectrum.

According to the World Bank, there is a risk of losing $17 trillion in lifetime earnings for the current generation of students as a result of COVID-19 pandemic-related school closures. The impact is more severe on the disadvantaged youths due to the pre-existing opportunities gap, threatening to depress their prospects and constrict their opportunities in the long run.

We believe that young people are the pillars of the future. They are the engines of economic growth and social progress. Despite COVID-19’s disruption of our lives, the accelerated pace of digital transformation has inspired us to come up with innovative solutions that could break the barriers of education, bridge the opportunities gap, improve upward mobility and make a sustainable future achievable.

A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step. We are determined to move toward our vision of youth development and narrow the opportunities gaps with concerted youth efforts.

Hence, we envision a sustainable future built by concerted youth efforts. We Connect, Collaborate and Co-create with our stakeholders to actualize our vision. We are committed to foster knowledge transfer and build partnerships in order to furnish the support needed to harness the full potential of young people, elevate their leadership strengths, and ultimately narrow the opportunities gap with concerted youth efforts.

We are determined to move toward our vision of youth development. We wish you could join us on the journey. We look forward to our fruitful collaborations in the years ahead.

Dan Cheung

Asia Pacific Youth Development Foundation
Co-Founder & Chief Catalyst