Friendship youth delegates touched down on Luxembourg to meet other secondary school students their age as part of the 2025 Connected Schools programme.
by Iffat Ara Sharmeen,
29 June, 2025
Eusuf, Mizan, Munni, and Sakia visited five schools in Luxembourg: The Lycée Technique d’Ettelbruck, Nordstad Lycée de Diekirch, Lycée Guillaume Kroll, Vauban, and École Internationale Differdange Esch. The tour followed their recent participation in the UN Ocean Conference and the European Youth Event 2025.
Out and about in Luxembourg
Friendship youth delegates found Luxembourg to be a small yet multicultural country, with rich history tucked in its castles and cathedrals. “A student knows four, five, and even seven languages! Students from all around the world study there,” Sakia exclaimed. What struck them the most was the friendliness of the school students they met along the way.
Every school became a learning experience for them. At a technical school, they saw students building cars, bikes, solar chargers, and using 3D printers, engaging hands-on with the projects. In the more traditional schools, they observed how they reduce plastic use by using glass bottles, rely on iPads and other devices for paperless communication, and are fully digitised and eco-conscious throughout. They participated in several sports activities together, including wall climbing and creating joint posters on environmental commitments for the school board.
“Life in the chars is not easy. We face many diseases and climate change, like floods and river erosion. Poor services are a part of our daily lives,” Mizan shared with the audience in a school auditorium.
“Before the Connected Schools project, many of us in the char areas felt disconnected from the rest of the world. Something changed through this project. We found a bridge, not a physical one, but a digital and emotional bridge that connected us with the students of France, Luxembourg, Cambodia, Switzerland, etc. Friendship and this project taught me to dream bigger.” Munni chimed along with Mizan.
The delegates were also fortunate enough to visit the Luxembourg Ministry of Environment & Youth and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. From a vantage point high above in the ministry building, they could see Germany, Belgium, and France, all in a spectacular sight, which helped them reflect on how interconnected the world truly is.
In a roundtable discussion with the ministry officials, the delegates discussed their future aspirations of building solar-powered floating schools, which can be used during floods and other disasters. From funding challenges to the difficulties of growing up in disaster-prone areas, the delegates left no stone unturned to amplify their message on climate change.
An Adventure of a Lifetime
“We’ve seen so much and explored so much. We couldn’t even tell how time passed by,” Eusuf said. “There were no traffic police yelling or whistling around!” Munni commented on their scenic tram and train journeys. Sakia was impressed with how gender-equal European society is, a stark contrast from Bangladesh.
From Strasbourg, France, to Luxembourg and then back to Paris again, the Friendship youth delegates were elated to represent Bangladesh and its char islands. The trip has been a valuable lesson for them, which they hope to share with their communities once they reach home.
