Students Partnership Worldwide (SPW) is now Restless Development, the youth-led development agency.
What they know? Young people are most affected by the persistent problems facing the world. And yet they are frequently overlooked as being the ones to help work these issues out.
What they believe? Young people are the solution. They are the largest, most energetic group of young people in the world. When they work together with a common purpose, anything is possible.
What they are here for? To channel the indisputably positive power of young people to bring about real progress.
How they do it? Restless Development trains, educates, supports and inspires young people to lead development in their countries and communities. Restless Development helps young people make responsible choices about their health and their livelihoods. Restless Development gives them the skills they need to contribute positively to society. Restless Development creates the opportunity for young people to play active roles in policy and decision making.
Restless Development specialises in training young people to act as peer educators and agents of change in rural communities, to carry out effective long term interventions in health, particularly in preventing the spread of HIV/AIDS, and also in resource management contexts. Restless Development recruits around 85% of these volunteers from the huge untapped resource of educated young people in African and Asian countries. Restless Development's main overseas volunteering programs are in Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, South Africa, India and Nepal.
Youth to youth education is at the heart of Restless Development’s methodology. Restless Development volunteer peer educators use interactive non-formal education methods, such as music, drama and dance to engage children and youth, and promote healthy living.
Restless Development volunteers directly reach 400,000 young people each year with health and environmental education at a cost of just £9 per child.
Restless Development is also part of the Stop AIDS Campaign, and has responsibility for co-ordinating the Student Stop AIDS Campaign. A significant number of Student Stop AIDS campaigners are former Restless Development volunteers.