[California] Student is animated about fighting poverty

from The San Diego Union Tribune

By Meredith Wade

CARMEL VALLEY – Steven Yuan believes that people working together can change history. “Learning about problems people in the world are facing is enlightening.”

To help raise awareness in his Carmel Valley community, Steven created a short, animated video about poverty and hunger in Africa. The 16-year-old's creation was one of 20 finalists in a Flash video contest sponsored by Citizens for Global Solutions. The nationwide, nonprofit organization encourages Americans to address global issues such as: infectious diseases, global warming, deforestation and terrorism.

Steven's father Ronnie Yuan said his son's video is “intended to bring awareness about poverty to the public and offer suggestions to fight the problem.”

In Steven's animated film, statistics about poverty and hunger rapidly cross the screen while a fast dance song plays in the background. The story compares a teen's life in California to a youth living in a poor area of Africa. “There is such a stark contrast between life there and life here,” Steven said. “It is really horrifying. I wanted to do something to raise awareness and help people.”

Yuan said, “Steven is very passionate about these causes and in addition to making the Flash movie, he has been working with a group of Torrey Pines High School students to buy school supplies for an orphanage in Tanzania.”

Steven is the co-founder and vice president of The Melting Pot Club of Torrey Pines High School. The group has 30 members who meet once a week to complete community service projects. All projects are designed to have a multicultural focus.

One project involves pairing club members with a pen-pal living in an African orphanage. The letters the group has received have taught them that AIDS had affected many children's families and that hunger is an almost constant concern in many countries.

“I am really interested in letting other people know how different life in Africa is from life here. I also watched a video on the child soldiers by the Invisible Children organization, and it really opened my eyes. It is depressing to know that these things really happen,” Steven said.

He hopes to combine his passion for helping youths in Africa with his love of art and graphic design. Even though Steven did not win the contest, he is happy he participated. “I am not bummed at all. I would have just given the prize money to the Melting Pot Club anyway. It was good to see how competitive the field of animation is. It was really a humbling experience.”

Although the short film was created with a complicated computer program, Steven's message is simple. He wants everyone to know how important it is to help other people. “If everyone donated money or started a project or a club that worked to help others, the world would be a better place,” he said.

To see his movie or learn more about the Flash video contest visit www.globalsolutions.org.