Since Colruyt Group Foundation began supporting the JOVEM project in Ayacucho, Peru, the collaboration has grown into a partnership built on trust, shared values and belief in the strength of young people. We asked Jelle Huwé of Colruyt Group Foundation what makes it work for them.
A partnership built on trust
"Our collaboration with Solid is a partnership that starts from trust, shared values and belief in the power of young people," says Jelle Huwé. Through the JOVEM project, rural youth in Ayacucho receive training, coaching and hands-on experience to start sustainable farming activities and micro-enterprises.
What particularly appeals to the Colruyt Group Foundation is the way Solid engages with young people. “Solid doesn’t work for young people, but with them, through a strong ‘learning-by-doing’ approach,”. That closely aligns with the foundation's mission: "Together, we create opportunities for today's and tomorrow's youth to develop healthily and grow up on a healthy planet." JOVEM puts that mission into concrete practice by giving young people the knowledge, skills and confidence today to grow sustainably.
Impact you can see — and feel
For Colruyt Group Foundation, impact means more than numbers alone, though numbers are a starting point: 135 young people enrolled, 105 who start a business, 192 hours of training per cycle. "At least as important is what changes in the lives of young people: more self-confidence, perspective, income, and the ability to become a role model in their community", emphasises Jelle.
The stories that move him most are those of young people who begin to see themselves as someone with possibilities. "Young people from rural families get the knowledge, guidance, financial support and hands-on experience through JOVEM to build their own business. That's a shift from limited options to a future perspective." The idea that these young people can, in turn, inspire others in their community stands out to the foundation as particularly powerful — a good illustration of what Solid calls the multiplier effect: impact that reaches further than the direct programme.
Trust through an integrated, locally rooted approach
What gives Colruyt Group Foundation confidence that resources are used well and sustainably? "That trust comes from the combination of clear objectives, local grounding and a comprehensive approach", explains Jelle. The JOVEM programme covers selection, training, coaching, micro-enterprises, technical follow-up, and the involvement of parents and community. According to the Foundation, it is precisely this integrated approach that sets Solid apart from other organisations with which it collaborates.
That local grounding is tangible: training doesn't happen detached from context, but on the Montefino Farm and within the communities themselves. "Individual growth only becomes sustainable when the surrounding environment is strengthened too," Jelle says. The Foundation recognises this same interplay between overview and proximity in the way Solid is organised: "The combination of a European point of contact and strong local teams gives us confidence: there's overview, transparency and closeness to the reality of young people and communities in Ayacucho, all at once."
Depth over speed
Asked what makes a partnership work in the long run, Jelle replies in a nuanced way: "For us, impact isn't a fixed endpoint, but a process." Scaling as fast as possible or reaching as many young people as possible isn't the priority — the sustainable depth of change is: "Young people who grow stronger as individuals, who can build their own income, develop resilience, and in turn set something in motion within their family or community."
It is this same philosophy that shapes the Colruyt Group Foundation’s outlook on the future: "Growing too fast can sometimes have the opposite effect: there's a risk that quality, local grounding or sustainable change comes under pressure", warns Jelle. That is why the Foundation prefers to further deepen its collaboration. That is why the Foundation prefers to deepen its collaboration rather than simply broaden it — including by looking beyond the JOVEM project alone, at the wider context in which young people in the region grow up.
Communication that connects numbers and stories
Jelle is also positive about the communication from Solid: "We particularly appreciate communications that make progress visible as humanity." Updates provide insight into how the project is evolving and where the challenges lie, while stories make the impact tangible. For the Colruyt Group Foundation’s own reporting, formats that are particularly valuable are those that "combine numbers and stories: short impact updates, key indicators, testimonials, images from the field and clear learnings."
A message to other foundations
Jelle has a clear message for foundations considering working with Solid: "Solid starts from young people's strength, not their vulnerability." With a strong local team, the organisation combines training, entrepreneurship, sustainable agriculture and community development in a very concrete way. "For foundations that believe in sustainable impact that starts from the strength of young people, Solid is a valuable partner", concludes Jelle.
Solid
We warmly thank Jelle Huwé for taking the time to share this reflection, and Colruyt Group Foundation for their continued trust and commitment to the JOVEM project.