3 young Kenyans have been selected to attend the Global Changemakers Youth Summit taking place in Switzerland later this month. The Global Changemakers was created in 2007 with the aim to empower youth to catalyse social change.
In its seven year existence it has become a close knit network of 100,000 young social activists. Global Changemakers supported 280 youth-led projects in 128 countries with 200,000 people directly involved and benefiting over 4 million people.
The names of the Changemakers selected are Maureen, Joy and Kevin . Check out their profiles below:
Maureen
Student of Science in Human Nutrition and Dietetics, Maureen is interested in becoming a policy maker in food security. She is currently working to promote the growth of indigenous foods in her native Kenya. Maureen is also a Young African Leaders alumni and a volunteer at the National Pediatric Cancer Organization.
Joy
A student of International Relations, Joy is involved with a number of NGOs in Switzerland where she currently lives. She has participated in the Human Rights Council- Youth Forum, worked on women empowerment and is planning to start a learning centre in Kenya that equips people with practical skills.
Kevin
An ACCA student and Bachelor of Commerce, Kevin started a company that produces a Polyfabric, which is a durable material used to make utility items. Kevin is also an environmentalist and a mentorship enthusiast. He works with and empowers youth to build their capacity on social entrepreneurship
The Global Changemakers approach
Global Changemakers believes that in order to get great results you need to have a comprehensive approach to make change happen. Our journey begins with a selection process of the most promising and outstanding youth, whether from a urban community in North America or refugee camps in Africa, our selection process is purely based on merit and the quality of the work these young people are implementing.
After the selection process Changemakers are brought together to one week summits which are designed to get the creative juices flowing. Changemakers get together with a group of like – minded people to discuss issues relevant to them and to come up with new ideas (or further work on their ongoing initiatives) to make things happen. The summits also bring experts in various fields so that the Changemakers are exposed to a range of ideas they can use to improve their work on the ground.
After the summits we support the Changemaker’s projects with funds, tools and networks. Often, the most difficult part of getting an idea of the ground is getting the start up capital to make it happen. Global Changemakers, through partners, has to date funded 280 initiatives world-wide, many of which have resulted in full fledge organizations that are working for the betterment of the world and are providing employment to young people.
Changemakers are encouraged to share what they’ve learned with their local communities by organizing events that build the capacity of local youth to become active in their communities and start their own projects.
