The voices of young people have often been dismissed leaving many feeling powerless in the face of global challenges. Young people are frequently told they are too young to understand or affect meaningful change. Despite these barriers, youth activism is gaining momentum. Young people are driving change and their fresh perspectives have proven instrumental in driving progress on global issues, such as poverty. Youth activism is essential to amplify the voices of the marginalized and create long-lasting, transformative change. Here are five young leaders from around the world who are making significant strides towards combating global poverty.

Kelvin Doe – Sierra Leone

Kelvin Doe is an acclaimed young engineer from Sierra Leone. From the age of 10, Doe would scour trash and discarded materials to find parts to use for his innovative projects. He taught himself how to make items such as lights, generators and radios and even went on to create his radio station. He took on the stage name DJ Focus and used his radio station to share music and news about issues such as youth engagement. In addition, he is the founder of the Kelvin Doe Foundation, an NGO with the mission to “provide creative spaces, to nurture communities, ignite a culture of innovation, and inspire civic engagement.” Even with limited resources, Doe was able to utilize materials at his disposal and facilitate change in his community through his work.

Jose Adolfo Quisocala Condori – Peru

At just 7 years old, Jose Adolfo Quisocala Condori founded a bank that changed the trajectory of many kids in his community. Condori wanted to help eradicate poverty in his community while also protecting the environment, with this in mind he started a groundbreaking initiative called the Children’s Eco-Bank. The initiative incentivized students to recycle materials for monetary rewards that would be deposited into their bank accounts. The children’s Eco-Bank stands as a Beacon of Hope showcasing the remarkable impact that even the youngest individuals can have in fostering economic resilience and social change within their communities.

Webster Makombe – Zimbabwe

Webster Makombe is a global youth leader who focuses on improving nutrition and food security challenges. He began his activism career when he was working as a junior parliament member in high school. Through his activism, he dedicates time to lobbying and advocating for nutrition improvement in his home country of Zimbabwe and across the world. Makombe works closely with the movement Scaling up Nutrition, which works on furthering awareness and knowledge about food and nutrition issues. Now studying at the University of Zimbabwe, he focuses on human rights and global health law to deepen its understanding and drive meaningful change in the field

Kehkashan Basu – India/Canada

Kehkashan Basu is a “champion of women’s and children’s rights.” At the age of 12, she founded the Green Hope Foundation, an organization that works in 28 different countries to empower young people and women globally. The foundation aims to combine grassroots advocacy with policy reform to encourage education, development and sustainability for marginalized communities. Basu is a designated United Nations human rights champion and the youngest person to ever be designated as Global Coordinator for the U.N. Environment Program Major Group of Children and Youth. Through her unwavering support for global advocacy, Basu has shown what hard work and dedication can accomplish.

Jaden Lawen – Canada/Lebanon

Jaden Lawen was 17 years old when an explosion devastated his native city of Beirut, Lebanon. Thousands of miles away, in Ontario, Canada he found out about the drasticity of the situation through pictures and videos from friends who experienced the effects of the explosion, many of whom in hospitals. Moved to do something to help the catastrophe, he began the organization Halifax to Beirut with Love to spread awareness and raise funds. Through this Lawen was able to raise more than $100,000 which the Red Cross later distributed to the citizens. Lawen’s dedication to helping his community helped change thousands of lives, including those of his own family and friends.

Helping Shape Global Communities

Despite facing adversity, young leaders have proved time and time again that they can enact meaningful change throughout the world. Through initiatives that deal with economics, charity and advocacy these five young leaders are only some of many who are helping shape global communities. These young leaders enable the world to see what a future might look like if communities can mobilize their youth and inspire younger generations to make change.

– Adrita Quabili
Photo: Unsplash