United Nationalities of Marbella

Providing solutions to our youth’s problems

TV presenter and community activist Nicole King has been preoccupied by the issues faced by the international youth of Marbella for many years. In last year’s United Nationalities of Marbella Summit, the difficult issues of mental health, suicide and limited connections with the community were raised and the UNMS team have been working tirelessly to solve these problems for the last year.

Over lunch at The Harbour Marbella on the 7th of December, Nicole King and Filip Bovin were proud to present the fruits of their labour – the Happy Helpline, to over 75 influential members of the international community. They also posed the question, “Do our children feel at home in Marbella?” and showcased the new AI led platform which is trying to help and enable youngsters to overcome mental health issues and reach their full potential.

Organiser and host Nicole King explained, “The saying goes that home is where the heart is. Yet I feel that most of the international children who grow up in Marbella don’t feel they belong, and never really feel at home here. To compound the problem, a lack of job opportunities and further education offerings drive people to move away, separating families and reducing the talent pool for Marbella. Last year’s event really brought home the very serious problems that our young people are facing, and we’re so excited to be able to showcase our new Happy Helpline app, which offers solutions to these many issues.

As part of this year’s United Nationalities Summit, I wanted to get some of the best minds on the coast engaged with this issue and see if our local businesses can offer jobs, work experience and activities to help the kids feel integrated. We’re also looking for support and funding to take the app from concept phase to launch and welcome any ideas or opportunities to enrich the lives of our youth.”

Keynote speaker Filip Bovin presented the protype Happy Helpline App, which is designed to support youth with mental health struggles. It was developed by 15 international students following consultations with schools, mental health charities and the Red Cross to ensure it met the complex needs of young people today. This innovative app centralises all the contact details for support in English for suicide prevention in a more attractive way to appeal to our youth. It also features an AI function, designed to listen and support youngsters who may be ashamed to call a helpline, or speak to parents or teachers about how they are feeling.

He also explained how AI can empower young people, giving them control over their choices and thereby improving their overall well-being. The new system NeduAI was unveiled at the event, an interactive and gamified platform designed to make the process of choosing an education path, recognising skills, and planning a career both easy and enjoyable.

The event was filmed and will be broadcast on Marbella Now with Nicole King and can be found on YouTube AT nicolekingmarbella. Businesses, parents and youngsters with ideas or solutions to these issues are encouraged to contact Nicole via email to MiMarbellartvm{}gmail.com