Youth Changemakers from Under-Represented Communities
Youth changemakers have the ability to transform society by doing remarkable things for their communities. Young trailblazers from different parts of the world are increasing. Anyone can be a changemaker: artists, activists, academicians, authors, architects. Youth-led projects and programs are the catalysts of positive change.
Top youth changemakers from Under-represented communities:
1. Yashveer Singh: Yashveer leads the Ashoka Young Changemaker program. The program was launched in 2018 to build a community comprising teens of changemakers. Ashoka is considered to be the world's largest network of social entrepreneurs and changemakers. Presently the members are trying to reduce the inequality existing in the world.
2. Nashilongo Gervasius: She is a +Social Good Connector in Namibia who advocates for better access to internet connectivity in her country. She co-founded the Internet Society Namibia Chapter to achieve a better digital life, promote a safe online space and to make sure each person gets access to the internet. This was a step taken to achieve internet freedom in Africa.
3. Marley Dias: 16-year-old Marley Dias is the founder of #1000BlackGirlBooks. It is an international movement that focuses on collecting and donating children's books with Black girls as the protagonists. For Dias, the initiative is a pathway “to develop the imagination of children so that they can dream, create and structure opportunities for freedom and equity.”
4. Catherine Nyambura: She wanted to help the young people of Kenya for overall personal development. She is the Deputy Director of Dandelion Kenya, which works with the young generations, marginalized women and with schools. She runs a development program in schools to teach children about good health ,gender equality and other skills. She gives awareness about sexuality, HIV/AIDS and teen pregnancy. Her motive is to encourage young people to grow confidently and speak up and stand for themselves in the patriarchal society they live in.
5. Maureen Iyasele: She founded Job Mag, a firm striving towards upskilling youth, empowering SMEs, and reengineering the processes of businesses. Maureen also founded SME Upturn, and is a youth development center, where unemployed job seekers can walk in and get support to secure employment. She is a trained engineer who has worked in the oil and gas industry. She started working directly with young people and helped to address the increasing level of unemployment in her country, Nigeria. Till now her organization has supported over 1000 Nigerian to access the Job Market. She is recognized as 'Naija Diamond' for bringing a difference in her Community.
Changemakers focuses on skill development, capacity building, mentoring and providing grants to help communities get a better quality of life.