At Living Koko and Vaiusu, we believe in more than just ethical cacao and unforgettable cultural experiences — we believe in building futures.

Recently, we were invited by the Target Zero campaign to join a powerful panel discussion about the future of young people in Melbourne’s Western Suburbs. This important initiative focuses on keeping youth out of the justice system by creating meaningful pathways to employment, leadership, and purpose.

Giving Young People a Real Chance

We’ve seen firsthand what happens when you offer a young person more than a job — when you offer trust, training, and real responsibility.

🟤 At Living Koko, our young team members do more than pack orders. They engage in sustainable business practices, ethical production, digital storytelling, and cultural care. They learn that business can be soulful, sustainable, and socially just.

🟡 Through Vaiusu’s My Island Dream Festival, we created paid roles where youth were responsible for everything from vendor management to stage logistics and event marketing. We didn’t ask them to shadow — we asked them to lead. And they delivered.

Opportunity is Prevention

During the Target Zero panel, I shared this truth:

“I believe giving young people opportunities to see what options are out there is one of the most powerful ways we can prevent harm and unlock potential.”

We know that when young people are given space to grow, they build not only skills — they build confidence, identity, and connection. That’s how we break cycles. That’s how we build futures that are rich with possibility.

What We Need from Government and Community

To truly shift the story, we need:

• 💼 Paid internships and hands-on learning programs

• 💡 Micro-grants for youth-led business ideas

• 🧠 Culturally informed mental health and peer mentoring support

• 🔁 Wraparound services that see the whole young person, not just their resume

Because young people don’t need to be “given a voice” — they already have one. What they need is for us to listen, invest, and walk alongside them.

Join Us

Whether you’re a community member, business owner, or policymaker — you have a role to play. Together, we can create a future where our youth are seen not as risks, but as rising leaders.

At Living Koko and Vaiusu, we’ll keep building pathways and platforms for them to rise.

Because when you invest in young people, you don’t just grow businesses.

You grow legacies.

📍Learn more about our work at www.livingkoko.com
🔗 Let’s connect on LinkedIn: Phoebe Preuss – Living Koko