Archive for category: Youth Empowerment

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How Higher Education in the Maldives is Changing

Higher Education in the MaldivesGoing to class for American university students may require crossing campus. However, in the Maldives, it may require crossing the ocean. The Maldives’ scattered island geography creates barriers to where students can study, which programs they can apply to and whether they need to leave their home to pursue higher education. The Maldives’ unique geography is influencing how higher education in the Maldives is developing. On March 8, 2026, Maldives National University held a groundbreaking ceremony for a planned new campus in Eydhafushi, Baa Atoll. The new campus, valued at approximately $5.2 million, is scheduled to take 720 days to complete. Once finished, it should give students the opportunity to attend university closer to home and reduce the costs associated with studying elsewhere. At the same time, new programs and scholarships are creating additional pathways into postsecondary education.

Education Across an Island Nation

The Maldives’ geography sets its education apart from many other countries. The challenge arises because communities are spread across more than 180 inhabited islands while many educational opportunities are concentrated in larger population centers. This affects students long before they even enter university. UNICEF reports that disparities in access to services, including education, remain between Malé and remote islands. It also reports that the country’s monetary poverty rate is about 8% and that 33% of children experience multidimensional poverty. For families with limited incomes, the additional costs of traveling or relocating for education can make geographic barriers more difficult to overcome.

Geography is not the only challenge. UNICEF identifies limited upper-secondary opportunities in remote islands and teacher shortages as additional barriers facing students in smaller communities. In some remote areas, students must leave their home islands simply to complete upper-secondary education.

For certain students, moving off their home islands before commencing university might be necessary for them to pursue further education. These geographical disparities are among the reasons why the establishment of regional campuses has been a key feature of the education system in the country. This is not an isolated case of such a development. Maldives National University (MNU) has announced agreements to develop additional campuses, including one in Naifaru in Lhaviyani Atoll. These agreements represent planned developments rather than campuses that are already operating. MNU said both projects will expand access to tertiary education for students living in the atolls.

When Online Classrooms Bridge Gaps

While building more campuses offers one way to reduce distance, technology can offer another. Taking advantage of this opportunity, UNICEF and the Maldivian government have expanded digital and hybrid learning initiatives that allow students to attend classes online. UNICEF identifies online learning as a method of reaching students in rural areas. The TechPath program, which the Ministry of Education developed in partnership with UNICEF and Google for Education, focuses on students’ digital skills and expanding remote learning. In 2024, UNICEF reported that TechPath was being piloted with more than 1,600 students in 15 schools across the Maldives.

The program also supports the Maldives’ satellite school model, which connects students in rural and remote communities with educational opportunities that may not exist locally. UNICEF said the initiative aims to strengthen the satellite school model and expand remote-learning options to grades 11 and 12. This remains a school-level initiative rather than a university program, but greater access to upper-secondary education can help students prepare for higher education.

For students in rural communities, these school-level programs can help create a pathway toward higher education before a student reaches a university campus. Access to upper-secondary courses can determine whether students are able to meet the requirements for further study.

Beyond the Islands

For other students, pursuing higher education may require leaving the Maldives entirely. The Ministry of Higher Education, Labour and Skills Development announces international scholarship opportunities that allow Maldivian students to pursue higher education abroad. These have included opportunities connected with countries such as India, Hungary, Indonesia, China and Australia. For example, in April 2026, the ministry announced an Indian Council for Cultural Relations scholarship (ICCR) through the Aid to Maldives Scheme. The scholarship gives Maldivian applicants opportunities to study at participating universities in India. ICCR’s 2026-2027 scholarship guidelines provide financial support that can include tuition and compulsory fees, monthly stipends, housing allowances and annual contingency allowances depending on the student’s level of study and program rules.

International scholarships can therefore reduce some of the financial barriers associated with studying abroad while giving Maldivian students another route into higher education. Combined with planned regional campuses, school-level digital learning programs and international scholarships, these developments show that higher education in the Maldives increasingly extends beyond a single type of location or institution.

Systems Moving Outward

The planned campus in Eydhafushi highlights how higher education in the Maldives is changing. Once completed, the project is expected to allow students in Baa Atoll to pursue higher education closer to home while reducing some of the costs associated with studying elsewhere. Other planned regional campuses, including Naifaru, show that Maldives National University is also working to expand higher education beyond the country’s main population centers. Digital-learning initiatives and international scholarships provide additional pathways for students whose location or financial circumstances may otherwise limit their educational options. In a country where home and school can be separated by miles of ocean, the location of education matters. Although several of the new campuses are still in development, their expansion, along with digital programs and scholarships, shows how the map of educational opportunity in the Maldives is beginning to change.

– Inika Chemuru

Inika is based in Pembroke Pines, Florida, USA and focuses on Technology and Solutions for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Unsplash

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8 Things to Know About Education in Saint Pierre and Miquelon

Education in Saint Pierre and Miquelon
Saint Pierre and Miquelon, a French overseas collectivity off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada, has one of the smallest education systems under the French national framework. Its 2025 legal population was 5,819 municipal residents and 5,987 total residents. Thus, education is a small-system challenge: the territory must provide full schooling, exam preparation, vocational training and pathways abroad for fewer than 1,000 students.

8 Facts About Education in Saint Pierre and Miquelon

  1. The Service de l’Éducation nationale de Saint-Pierre-et-Miquelon reported 929 students for the 2025-2026 school year, supported by 213 staff and a budget of around €19 million. That means education spending is significant relative to the territory’s size, reflecting the cost of maintaining a complete public service in a remote island setting.
  2. In 2025-2026, the territory had six schools, two collèges and one polyvalent lycée with a vocational section. The network includes 431 students in primary education and 498 students in secondary education, split between public and private-under-contract institutions. This tight structure helps maintain access, but it also means that one school closure or staffing shortage can impact a large share of students.
  3. Of the 929 students enrolled in 2025, 553 were in public institutions and 376 in private-under-contract institutions. In the first degree, private-under-contract schools enrolled 229 students, slightly more than the 202 in public schools; in the second degree, public institutions enrolled 351, compared with 147 in private-under-contract schools.
  4. Saint Pierre and Miquelon’s exam outcomes are a bright spot. In 2025, the general-track Diplôme national du brevet pass rate was 91.2%, while the general baccalauréat pass rate was 100% for the third consecutive year. The vocational baccalauréat pass rate was also high at 95.8%, and both the CAP and Certificat de formation générale recorded 100% pass rates.
  5. Vocational education matters because many students need job-ready skills without leaving the territory immediately. The 2025 data show a 100% CAP pass rate and a 95.8% vocational baccalauréat pass rate. However, the professional-track brevet fell to 50% in 2025, down from 80% in 2024. This suggests that while upper vocational outcomes can be strong, earlier vocational preparation remains an area to watch.
  6. A major recent development is the opening of the boarding school (internat) at Lycée Émile Letournel on September 2, 2024. 11 boarding students attend the school – a small number, but a meaningful one in a territory where Miquelon-based students may require support to receive secondary education in Saint-Pierre.
  7. The 2024 national assessments reveal that Saint Pierre and Miquelon students performed close to or below national benchmarks in some primary grades. For example, in first-degree French assessments, local mastery rates ranged from 76.19% in CP to 54.14% in CM2, compared with national figures of 79.61% and 60.26% respectively. In mathematics, local rates ranged from 76.46% in CP to 53.62% in CM2, again below national levels in several grades.
  8. The 2024-2027 territorial education diagnostic emphasizes adapting pathways, inclusive schooling and career development. It specifically calls for “favoriser l’insertion professionnelle des élèves” through English learning, training options and workplace placements in Canada. This reflects Saint Pierre and Miquelon’s geography: students often need pathways to mainland France or nearby Canada.

Looking Ahead

Education in Saint Pierre and Miquelon is not mainly an access crisis; it is a quality, continuity and opportunity challenge. The system has strong exam results and high public investment, but must keep improving foundational learning, vocational transitions and pathways to higher education or work beyond the archipelago.

– Jeff Zhou 

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

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How CorpsAfrica and Mastercard Foundation are Tackling Poverty

CorpsAfrica and Mastercard FoundationThe Mastercard Foundation started its amazing partnership with CorpsAfrica back in 2021. Since then, the CorpsAfrica and Mastercard Foundation partnership has reached new goals with more funding. Here is how it all started and what the partnership has achieved so far.

CorpsAfrica

CorpsAfrica is a non-government organization committed to training African youths. It hires them as volunteers and sends them to high-poverty communities where they not only learn valuable life skills that will help them find dignified and empowering future employment but also help to transform impoverished communities.

Liz Fanning founded CorpsAfrica, a former Peace Corps volunteer. While volunteering in Morocco, Fanning became inspired by its eager youths who were desperate to contribute to their communities. She founded CorpsAfrica in 2011, the first program launching in Morocco in 2013, and has since expanded the organization to 10 countries. Fanning’s mission was a simple one: to transform Africa’s reliance on external aid and empower its educated young people to give back.

CorpsAfrica started in Morocco, working across five territories with only seven volunteers and leading community-led projects focused on agriculture and education. Today, the number of volunteers in Morocco has expanded to 30 volunteers per cohort.

Today, CorpsAfrica deploys more than 1,700 educated young Africans to live and train up to a year in rural communities. Together, they have completed more than 800 community-led projects, from building schools and wells to supporting farming and livestock farmers. Their amazing work is thanks to privately sponsored funding and game changing partnerships like The Mastercard Foundation.

The Mastercard Foundation Partnership

Mastercard Foundation started its partnership in 2021, funding the organization $17 million over a three year contract, with the aim of broadening the impact of CorpsAfrica. In 2023, the Mastercard Foundation funded a further $59.4 million to Corps Africa due to their successful partnership, helping to launch a further expansion to South Africa in 2024 and developing more projects to help inspire and aid African youths in their future careers.

The Mastercard Foundation’s mission is to help 30 million youth in Africa to access jobs that are fulfilling and dignified by 2030. The Foundation gives funding to many other similarly led projects in the hopes of achieving this goal, and they are well on their way to achieving this goal.

The Impact

Thanks to funding from the Mastercard Foundation and other partnerships from 2023-2024, CorpsAfrica has achieved:

  • 80% increase in volunteers, creating a 124% increase in new jobs for communities and volunteers involved.
  • 231% increase in development activities, including agricultural sustainability, the building of wells and schools and so much more.
  • 74% increase in community-led projects.

Liz Fanning, the founder and executive director of CorpsAfrica, stated this in regards to the funding that The Mastercard Foundation received: “This funding could not have come at a more important time.”

The money that the Foundation provided will not only help with its goal and mission statement to facilitate and help Africa’s young people  gain important life-changing skills, but also provide the resources to help rural communities towards sustainable living.

Concluding Thoughts

Through this partnership, real life impacts have occurred across Africa for the communities CorpsAfrica is actively working in as well as for the volunteers who receive hands-on training in real life situations. The volunteers involved learn critical thinking and problem solving skills, while also learning a multitude of different languages, giving them skills they can use to further their careers. The communities impacted receive resources, education and support through the organization’s efforts. This would not be possible if it were not for the vital funding from partnerships that are just as motivated to change the lives of Africa’s youth as Mastercard is.

– Shannon Waters

Shannon is based in Middlesbrough, UK and focuses on Business and New Markets for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

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How KOTO Trains At-Risk Youth in Vietnam

Mist-covered mountains and terraced fields in Sapa, Vietnam, showcasing natural beauty. KOTOIn a 180-seat restaurant and training center near Hanoi’s Temple of Literature, young cooks and servers practice a trade that can lift them out of poverty for good. They are trainees at KOTO — short for “Know One, Teach One” — a social enterprise that has spent more than 25 years turning at-risk youth in Vietnam into hospitality professionals. The idea is simple but powerful: pair vocational training with a stable, supportive home, then send graduates into one of the country’s fastest-growing sectors.

Jimmy Pham, a Vietnamese-Australian who grew up in Sydney, founded KOTO in 1999. Returning to Vietnam in his twenties, he met street children who told him they wanted skills to find stable jobs. He opened a small Hanoi sandwich shop and hired nine street kids as its first crew. The venture puzzled local officials, who had no category for a business built to serve the poor — KOTO later became the first legally recognized social enterprise in Vietnam. The shop drew global attention in 2000, when U.S. President Bill Clinton, the first American president to visit Vietnam after the war, made an unannounced stop. RMIT University awarded Pham an honorary doctorate in recognition of his work.

The Model: Skills, Stability and a Second Family

KOTO runs a 24-month hospitality program for young people 16 to 22 years old, training about 150 each year. Trainees choose front-of-house service or commercial cookery and earn an internationally recognized certificate through Australia’s Box Hill Institute. Crucially, the program is entirely free: KOTO covers food, health care and accommodation in a family environment, so trainees can focus on learning rather than survival. Alongside cooking and service, instructors teach English and life skills such as personal hygiene and money management. When trainees finish, KOTO places them in their first hospitality job.

The scale of need explains why the model matters. Vietnamese call children who live and work on the streets “bụi đời,” which means “the dust of life,” and in Hanoi alone an estimated 19,000 young people live on the streets. Many support themselves and their families through hard labor, with limited access to education and real exposure to exploitation and abuse. For at-risk youth in Vietnam, a steady wage often stands between them and those dangers — and the skills to earn one are exactly what KOTO provides.

Breaking the Cycle

The results suggest stable employment can break cycles of poverty within a single generation. KOTO reports that 100% of its trainees secure a job, 33% move into managerial roles and 78% contribute financially to their families. Graduates staff five-star hotels such as Marriott, Hilton, Sheraton and Sofitel, and alumni mentor newcomers so closely that the industry jokes about a “KOTO mafia.” Over 25 years, more than 1,700 graduates — including chefs, managers and entrepreneurs — have come through the program.

Nguyen Thi Thu’s story shows what that can look like. She met Pham at 16, while selling candy to support her mother and siblings, and joined KOTO’s second cohort. Today, she heads training at a multinational corporation, and her sister is a personal chef to an ambassador in Vietnam. Thu calls Pham her “moon” — a source of light and guidance. Pham frames the mission in larger terms, saying he wants to build the next generation of Vietnamese leaders in the industry.

KOTO is now expanding. The Kind Heart Foundation of the Vietnamese conglomerate Vingroup is helping fund a new training center in Bac Ninh Province that will double KOTO’s capacity to 300 trainees, up from 150. To stay sustainable, KOTO funds its work through restaurant revenue, grants, corporate sponsorship, fundraising and alumni-run services, which reduces its reliance on any single donor.

Looking Ahead

The self-renewing design is the point. For at-risk youth in Vietnam, KOTO offers more than a job — it offers a stable income, a marketable skill and a community that expects each graduate to lift up the next. In a country where tourism keeps growing and skilled hospitality workers stay in demand, that combination can turn a vulnerable childhood into a durable livelihood, and often pull an entire family out of poverty along with it.

– Jen Phan

Jen is based in Hanoi, Vietnam and focuses on Good News for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

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Youth Empowerment in Malaysia

Youth Empowerment in MalaysiaMalaysia has a population of around 36 million, of whom 5.8% live below the poverty line. To tackle poverty, Malaysia has many youth-led projects which are vital, as young people are not only the leaders of tomorrow but also the key players in change today.

These initiatives allow young people to gain experience applicable to future employment, provide pathways out of poverty, and offer a way to be influential in the long-term, as young leaders are not just focused on themselves, but also the generations yet to come.

Youth Empowerment Foundation in Malaysia

The Youth Empowerment Foundation (YEF) is an NGO working in Malaysia with the aspiration to eradicate poverty, improve education, create pathways into employment, reduce inequalities, and ensure these changes endure in the long run. Its work is highly successful, with more than 8,000 people benefiting from assistance within community projects, helping them all move toward a better future.

Its Youth Empowerment Program provides education to Malaysia’s most vulnerable young people, such as orphans. The program also teaches technical skills that young people will need as they enter the workforce.

The SPARK, IGNITE, BLAZE system in place allows for a well-rounded education to Malaysian youth. SPARK delivers skill-based training, including computer skills, English language, Islamic knowledge, and finance management. These skills open employment to more people and influence young leaders in Malaysia. IGNITE develops an individual’s personal growth, guiding them toward their employment roadmap, reviving confidence in their skills, and improving transferable skills, such as time management. BLAZE promotes youths’ community engagement, helping strengthen relationships and drive youth-led change within communities.

Overall, YEF’s work creates positive change in the lives of Malaysian youth and opens up opportunities, such as quality education, that previously were denied to those in poverty. This creates a better future, and long-term opportunities open doors that were once shut to young leaders in Malaysia.

ASEAN Youth Dialogue

In 2025, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia’s capital, hosted the Fourth ASEAN Youth Dialogue. The event helps participants understand why youth-led change matters now, not later, and gives young people the opportunity to share their opinions on issues critical to their lives, such as sustainable businesses.

ASEAN aims to continue highlighting that young leaders in Malaysia, as well as Singapore and Brunei Darussalam, is the way to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and create a sustainable future for everyone. The event featured a series of sessions where young people engaged with social issues and developed solutions. The dialogue concluded with the ASEAN Youth Resolution, a document that summarizes everything participants discussed.

The ASEAN Youth Dialogue centers on the idea that youth-led change is a matter of now, not later. Decisions today affect those under 30 more than anyone else, so empowering them to control their future is the best way to ensure a positive outcome.

HopesMalaysia

HopesMalaysia is an NGO set on giving young people tools to tackle inequalities, especially because of the persistence of poverty in rural areas. Young people, aged between 15 and 30, work closely in rural areas such as Sabah, to support sustainable farming, building of small businesses and gravity-fed water systems that remain clean. This empowers people in poverty to live more self-sufficiently, as well as putting young people at the top of long-term, sustainable change.

This work has played an important role in Malaysia, helping 40% of farming families increase their household income, rebuilding five suspension bridges, and implementing 200km of gravity-fed water systems in 30 villages. These achievements highlight the influence of young leaders in Malaysia, who are already positively impacting thousands of people.

Takeaways

Overall, these three initiatives, aiding youth empowerment in Malaysia, show the significance of recognizing that young people need opportunities to take action for their futures now, not later. When young people have that opportunity, they create real, long-term change.

Youth-led change not only increases young people’s employability and access to education, but also inspires people of all ages to live self-sufficiently and build lives outside of poverty. It shows that, when given the chance, young people seize opportunities; they simply need access to them.

The main takeaway is that when young people have the chance, youth-led change produces sustainable, long-term solutions to poverty, especially in rural areas of Malaysia.

– Caitlin Cooper

Caitlin Cooper is based in Aberdeen, Scotland and focuses on Global Health and Politics for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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How Young Africa Is Bridging the Youth Skills Gap in Mozambique

Youth Skills Gap in MozambiqueSub-Saharan Africa has one of the fastest-growing populations in the world, underscoring the need to create jobs for young people entering the workforce. In Mozambique, 60% of the population is under 25, with many facing unemployment or working in low-paying informal sectors that keep them in poverty. Supporting younger generations in rapidly growing regions is essential to ensuring long-term economic stability and sustainable development.

Due to low wages, more than 70% of employed youth in Mozambique live in poverty. While 23% of youth are unemployed, many working youth still struggle to make ends meet. Young people face a complex landscape, navigating the disconnect between access to education and actual employability. This disparity between education systems and labor market needs creates a persistent youth skills gap in Mozambique, limiting economic mobility.

The Gap Between Education and Employment

Afrobarometer research finds that educational gains in Africa have not translated into enough jobs for young people. Surveyed youth identified inadequate training and lack of work experience as key barriers and many reported a mismatch between the skills they learned and those employers demand. This consistent pattern leaves educated youth, especially those aged 18–25, struggling to find meaningful employment.

Programs like Young Africa’s aim to address this gap by connecting education and vocational training directly with long-term job opportunities, helping youth break cycles of poverty.

Young Africa’s Sustainable Youth Empowerment Program

Young Africa is a youth empowerment franchise that has operated for more than 25 years, providing vocational training, entrepreneurship, financial literacy and life skills to disadvantaged youth across Africa. It created the Sustainable Youth Empowerment (SYE) program to support youth in northern Mozambique, a region affected by prolonged conflict, climate shocks and economic instability. Energy access is extremely limited in rural northern Mozambique, where 95% of the population lacks electricity.

Launched in March 2024, the program aims to equip 140 young people with green skills to become certified solar technicians by February 2026. It addresses unemployment and the youth skills gap in Mozambique while expanding access to reliable, climate-resilient energy in underserved communities. The SYE program continues to support students after graduation by connecting them with local employers, increasing their chances of full-time employment and bridging the gap between education and quality jobs.

Young Africa Mozambique’s program also provides 20 start-up kits to promising graduates, enabling them to develop solar projects in their communities with guidance from industry mentors. Young Africa Mozambique provides hands-on training through mobile units, offering flexible modules that allow students to balance training with other commitments. By bringing vocational education directly to rural communities, the program expands access for disadvantaged youth.

Building a Greener Future Through Youth Leadership

Young Africa Mozambique is fostering youth-led renewable energy growth while raising community awareness. Mobile training units host events to educate the public on the benefits of solar energy and address misconceptions about cost and accessibility. Students also demonstrate how solar products can improve daily life and reduce energy costs, distributing educational materials to local communities.

Raising community awareness about the benefits of solar energy is critical to building a green economy. With community support and interest, several trained solar technicians are now entering an in-demand industry. Young Africa Mozambique’s initiatives have already reached nearly 1,500 community members.

With 124 rural youth already graduated from SYE and 14 start-up kits distributed, the initiative is creating real opportunities to lift young people out of poverty. Students gain skills to install affordable, reliable and climate-resilient energy systems, improving the quality of life in their communities. By linking vocational training to tangible outcomes, Young Africa Mozambique is helping close the youth skills gap in Mozambique, empowering young people and strengthening both them and their communities.

– Hope Jowharian

Hope is based in Paris, France and focuses on Business and New Markets for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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5 Child-Led Inventions Addressing Global Poverty

Child-Led InventionsYoung people often don’t know that something can’t be done, so they try it. Disturbed by the poor living conditions of others, driven by awareness of environmental contamination or simply believing that all humans have the right to basic needs, youth can make a difference in the lives of the impoverished around the world. Here’s a look at five child-led inventions that address global poverty and are both innovative and inspiring.

William Kamkwamba, Masitala, Malawi

In 2001, thousands perished and many lost their livelihood in one of the worst droughts the rural village of Masitala, Malawi, had ever experienced. Crops wouldn’t grow in the dry soil and without their farming income, 14 years old Kamkwamba’s family couldn’t afford his school tuition. Nevertheless, Kamkwamba was determined to keep learning.

Discovering a book about alternative energy at Masitala’s small library, he became fascinated with windmills. Kamkwamba resolved to use the technology to bring desperately needed running water and electricity to his family. Improvising with scrap parts such as sandals, bicycle components, an old fan blade and gum trees, he successfully constructed a windmill which was able to power his home’s basic needs.

Kamkwamba gained financial support as his success story spread and he built additional windmills to bring power and water to his village, accelerating the fight against poverty. Kamkwamba’s story was adapted into a 2019 feature film titled “The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind.”

Jahkil Jackson, Chicago, US

Jackson felt compelled to ease the disparagement faced by the unhoused after helping deliver nourishment to displaced people in his hometown, Chicago. His passion led him to launch Project I Am (an organization that distributes hygiene kits to people without homes) in 2016, when he was just 8 years old. The kits or “blessing bags”, are filled with toiletries, nonperishable food, socks and other necessities, providing comfort and basic needs to those without.

Project I Am has distributed thousands of kits to those in poverty and to disaster victims in the U.S. and abroad. Now a member of the WE International Youth Council, Jackson encourages children to help enrich the world, emphasizing the impact of child-led inventions addressing global poverty. Heartland Alliance, a prominent anti-poverty organization and the Obama Foundation have recognized Jackson’s efforts.

Maryam Saleem, Pakistan

At age 13, Saleem was deeply concerned that much of her fellow Pakistani population was living in poverty without access to clean energy. Inhabitants would often cook their meals with firewood, which can pollute the air, cause respiratory damage and additional health problems. Suffering from respiratory issues herself, Saleem was determined to find a solution.

She created a portable biodigester that converts household organic waste into cooking biofuel. Saleem’s invention won her the 2023 Citi Foundation’s Skills for Success Challenge in the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship (NFTE) World Series of Innovation. With her award money, she is able to provide free biodigesters for the impoverished in Pakistan through “GoClean,” the organization she co-created.

Hannah Herbst, Florida, US

In 2015, at age 14, Herbst vowed to help her Ethiopian pen pal, who lived without basic necessities like running water and electricity. Herbst worked to invent a small turbine that generates electricity from ocean currents. Constructed of affordable, recyclable materials, her design is compact and floats above the water, while existing systems can be bulky and sit on the ocean floor.

Herbst’s invention, ideal for use in developing areas due to its low cost and accessibility, won her the title of “America’s Top Young Scientist” in the 2015 Discovery Education 3M Young Scientist Challenge. Herbst shared some of her prize money with her pen pal, enabling her family to buy a generator. Herbst plans to add water purification capability to her system and open-source the design so that electricity and purified water are readily available to shoreline communities worldwide.

Her invention demonstrates the power of child-led inventions addressing global poverty.

Xóchitl Guadalupe Cruz López, Chiapas, Mexico

Much of the population in Chiapas, Mexico, lives in poverty without access to conventional plumbing. Inhabitants often use firewood or oil to heat their water, fuels that can release contaminants and pose respiratory hazards. In 2018, at 8 years old, inspired by scientific workshops and by her concern for the environment and her fellow citizens, López decided to build an environmentally friendly, affordable water-heating system.

She used discarded items such as painted plastic bottles, a hose, wood scraps and pieces of glass from cooler doors. She and her father installed the finished device, capable of heating 10 liters of water, on the roof of her house. Her invention was a success and led to López becoming the first girl to receive an honor typically awarded to adults: “Recognition of the Institute of Nuclear Science for Women.”

López plans to make her invention available to all of Chiapas to help improve the lives of those living in poverty.

Conclusion

These five child-led inventions addressing global poverty demonstrate what fearless, determined youth can accomplish. Filled with the desire to help those less fortunate and enabled by education, scientific programs or simply the belief in a cause, children of the world see endless possibilities for helping the planet’s impoverished populations. With little help, young people can turn those possibilities into reality.

– Debbie Barto

Debbie is based in Monroe, WA, USA and focuses on Technology and Solutions for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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Youth Skills Projects in Kenya: Employment and Economic Mobility

Youth Skills Projects in KenyaKenya’s youth skills are transforming how young people transition from education to stable employment. In Kenya, youth unemployment continues to limit economic mobility, particularly among those aged 18 to 34. Despite being the largest working-age group in the country, young people have significantly higher unemployment rates than older workers.

Youth skills projects in Kenya are increasingly tailoring training to corporate demands, entrepreneurial opportunities and emerging industries. These programs are helping reduce poverty by creating stable income opportunities for vulnerable households.

Youth Unemployment in Kenya Limits Economic Mobility

According to Kenya’s National Bureau of Statistics, the bulk of young people employed are in low-wage, informal jobs. Youth unemployment remains close to 13%, with young women facing higher rates at around 18%. These labor inequities undermine long-term economic resilience and exacerbate household poverty.

To address this issue, Kenyan youth skills programs increasingly focus on hands-on training that leads directly to employment and the establishment of businesses.

Government Training Programs Expand Workforce Readiness

Kenya’s government boosted Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET) to align classroom better learning with labor market demands. Enrollment at public TVET institutions has increased from more than 345,000 to more than 565,000 trainees between the academic years 2022–2023 and 2024–2025. This represents a 63.8% increase as the Ministry of Education improved access, quality and industry alignment.

Officials are also implementing a Competency-Based Education and Training (CBET) framework that closely aligns courses with real-world, industry-relevant skills. This method aims to help graduates enter the workforce with the skills businesses require and focuses on practical training valued by employers. The government announced plans to boost the number of young people participating in TVET programs to two million by the end of 2025.

To broaden access, it allocated additional funding for facilities, equipment and the recruitment of trainers. This expansion is expected to significantly reduce poverty by equipping youth with marketable skills that generate sustainable income.

Digital Skills Programs Connect Youth to Global Markets

The Kenyan government’s Ajira Digital Program, which collaborates with partners such as eMobilis and the Kenya Private Sector Alliance, provides free digital and online job training. The initiative has trained more than 250,000 young people in Kenya, with modules covering digital marketing, transcribing and other internet skills. According to a tracking poll commissioned by Ajira, nearly one-third of participants report earning money online after completing the course.

By connecting youth to online income streams, the program tackles poverty and expands economic opportunity nationwide.

Green Energy and Agribusiness Training Create Local Jobs

Kenya’s renewable energy expansion has boosted demand for solar technicians and electrical installers. Training facilities like Strathmore Energy Research Center offer solar certification courses to prepare young people for jobs installing and maintaining off-grid energy systems. Moreover, TechnoServe Kenya funds youth agribusiness training and market access programs.

The training has helped tens of thousands of young farmers boost productivity and incomes, particularly in rural areas. These initiatives reduce poverty by increasing household earnings and fostering entrepreneurship in local communities.

Conclusion

Kenya’s youth skills programs show how coordinated investments in technical education, digital training, renewable energy and agriculture can transform classrooms into economic growth engines. Youth skills projects in Kenya, government initiatives and nonprofit partnerships are helping young people gain practical skills, income opportunities and entrepreneurship pathways. They are now providing young people with practical skills, income opportunities and entrepreneurship pathways.

These initiatives improve household stability, lower unemployment and increase Kenya’s long-term economic resilience.

– Madison Brown

Madison is based in Nottingham, UK and focuses on Good News for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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Digital Opportunity Trust: Promoting Digital Inclusion

Digital Opportunity TrustDigital innovations in online education and e-commerce have created new avenues for poverty reduction through economic inclusion. The digital economy can drive inclusive development by equipping people with the tools to lift communities out of poverty. Access to the internet provides better education and skill development, enhancing employability and market participation.

Digital Opportunity Trust

Digital Opportunity Trust (DOT) is a Canadian organization that delivers programs to young entrepreneurs on how to profit from the digital economy. Since 2002, DOT has been working to bridge the digital divide by connecting young people globally to essential digital skills. More than 3 million people in impoverished communities across more than 20 countries have benefited from DOT’s youth leaders.

DOT fosters inclusive development by preparing young leaders to participate in the digital economy and support economic growth at a local level. DOT’s Youth Entrepreneurship program aims to mitigate barriers to digital inclusion by providing young people with access to digital tools in addition to skill training and development. With a solid foundation in digital competencies, DOT is positioning young entrepreneurs as leaders of economic growth.

Initiatives like the Digital Bridge Project aim to educate 10,000 young people in Kenya and Ethiopia on how to use digital tools for their professional and personal development by April 2026. This initiative cultivates a new generation of digitally literate leaders prepared to drive poverty reduction in the digital age.

Economic Benefits of the Digital Economy

We can look to Kenya’s progress for how digital inclusion can transform a society and strengthen its economy. The “Silicon Savannah” has seen steady growth in its Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector since 2016, creating jobs across almost all industries. Kenya’s investment in developing human digital capital aligns with DOT’s efforts to create a “digitally savvy workforce” capable of tapping into new opportunities for economic growth in the digital sphere.

Creating more jobs, especially for young people and promoting sustainable development by leveraging digital markets. The combined efforts of the public and private sectors support job creation and economic diversification in the digital age. Furthermore, Kenya’s adoption of broadband infrastructure has positioned the country as a leader in Africa’s digital economy.

Through its progressive digital strategy policies, Kenya aims to create 300,000 new jobs by 2028 by integrating digital technologies across the agriculture, transport, manufacturing and trade sectors.

Rural Barriers and New Pathways

While progress is being made, the digital divide disproportionately impacts rural populations. Limited internet access among 83% of rural residents limits digital skill development and market participation. To bridge this gap, DOT Kenya youth leader Samuel Mathenge led training sessions that enabled youth in Nyeri County to engage with the digital market.

Through DOT’s Youth program, he strengthened his own skills and trained more than 600 young people in digital literacy. “My journey with DOT Kenya has not only transformed me into a confident digital skills facilitator but also a compassionate and patient leader,” Mathenge stated. Fresh off his DOT training and equipped with the confidence to lead, Mathenge worked with other young people to not only master digital tools but also prepare for the job market.

Together, they searched for careers in the tech sector, refining their CVs and preparing for interviews. DOT’s investment in one young entrepreneur has created a cycle of youth empowerment in Kenya. Mathenge is just one of thousands of DOT Youth leaders globally, working to foster inclusive development in their communities.

Digital Foundations for Poverty Reduction

Digital inclusion opens pathways for education, skill development and youth participation in the labour markets, laying a digital foundation for economic growth and poverty reduction. Indeed, initiatives by DOT empower young entrepreneurs to engage with the digital economy, equipping them with the skills and agency to drive sustainable growth. DOT places economic power in the hands of young leaders, enabling them to thrive in their communities and create lasting change.

– Hope Jowharian

Hope is based in Paris, France and focuses on Business and New Markets for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr

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Green Skills in Sub-Saharan Africa: Powering Youth Employment

Green Skills in Sub-Saharan Africa: Powering Youth Employment Across Sub-Saharan Africa, rising youth unemployment and growing climate threats are intersecting challenges. However, green skills in Sub-Saharan Africa are emerging as a powerful solution. Many governments and training centers are helping young people gain practical abilities in renewable energy, sustainable agriculture and eco-friendly construction, skills that create jobs while strengthening climate resilience.

Solar Training Creates New Pathways to Work

In Kenya, demand for clean energy is growing as solar capacity expands. The Strathmore Energy Research Centre (SERC) in Nairobi offers accredited training programs in solar photovoltaics, system maintenance and hands-on installation, contributing to the development of green skills in Sub-Saharan Africa. SERC reports that many of its trainees go on to work for solar firms or start small installation businesses, generating new employment opportunities. By giving youth tangible technical skills, this training supports Kenya’s clean-energy transition while reducing youth joblessness.

Climate-Smart Agriculture Boosts Farmer Incomes

Agriculture still underpins livelihoods across rural Sub-Saharan Africa, so green skills must address farming in a changing climate. In Rwanda, the Ministry of Agriculture supports climate-smart techniques such as drought-resistant crops, efficient irrigation and improved soil management. Young farmers trained in these methods have reported higher yields and lower losses during extreme weather events. These green agricultural skills not only raise incomes but help build food-system resilience in regions vulnerable to climate shocks.

Youth Recycling Cooperatives and Eco-Construction

Waste management and recycling form another growth area for green jobs, helping expand green skills in Sub-Saharan Africa. In South Africa, youth-led recycling programs are engaging young people in waste collection, sorting and recycling for income. A recent project by WasteAid in rural South Africa supported training for young people in the informal waste sector, boosting livelihoods and promoting circular-economy jobs. Research shows that waste and recycling value chains can provide meaningful employment pathways for youth, especially when paired with skills training. These initiatives illustrate how recycling can simultaneously tackle youth unemployment and environmental degradation.

Urban growth and climate imperatives are generating demand for building professionals trained in sustainable methods. Many African cities now require construction technicians versed in low-carbon materials, energy-efficient design and waste-minimizing practices. Training programs in sustainable construction equip young people to step into this gap, improving employment prospects while shaping cleaner infrastructure. These skills support broader green-economy transitions and help reduce emissions in construction.

Green Skills Deliver Early Success Stories

Across Kenya, Rwanda and South Africa, early outcomes show the promise of green upskilling. Solar technicians trained in Nairobi are servicing off-grid installations and rural clinics. In Rwanda, youth applying climate-smart farming methods have enhanced productivity and weather resilience. And in South Africa, youth recycling initiatives are converting waste into income and fostering circular-economic models.

These stories show how expanding green-skills development can cut poverty, boost local economic growth and empower young people as climate-solution leaders in their communities. By investing in green skills in Sub-Saharan Africa, policymakers, educators and development partners have an opportunity to deliver jobs, climate resilience and sustainable growth through a single, aligned strategy.

– Lucy Williams

Lucy is based in Wrexham, UK and focuses on Global Health for The Borgen Project.

Photo: Flickr