Techno-crimes, gangsterism and other hideous acts is mostly believe to be associated with Africans and the focus of these resolve has been the young people.
However, do you know that Some youths had long ago stopped wishing and waiting for the future to come?
They have taken the Lead and doing amazing things; they are ones now bringing the future to the present so the next generations won’t suffer the same fate they had to.
This article celebrates few of such Young People among several others in four African countries to commend their selfless act of humanity in improving Africa at large.
ANNETTE EWUSI
Founder, The Change Initiative
Cameroon
Annette is a smart, intelligent and excellent youth with a track record of commendable student leadership; The Young Cameroonian is a final year student of accountancy at The University of Beau accounting association, Cameroon.
Miss Ewusi who believes there is a place for everyone in the world and this is our individual uniquenes. when asked what her place is, she said
“ I have found my uniqueness and that in simple words is setting the right leadership standard in my generation”
To further explains this, the right standard of leadership in Africa begins by restructuring the mindset of the young generation- our prospective leaders of tomorrow, hence the need for leadership education in our schools.
“Firstly, I see every class as a generation. If I can’t reach the president and ministers of my nation I can talk to the future leaders and these people are in the classrooms.”
Owing to her keen interest and passion to avoid replicating the mentality of our leaders of today in the future leaders, she founded an organization with the name; The Change Initiative on October 14th, 2018. TCI was established to bring together young people with the mindset of positive change and nation building in every sphere of influence. The Change Initiative targets four major goals which are:
To make a difference in student leadership; She shared her mini book on student leadership to countless school communities as a manual. Awards are given to students who have demonstrated excellent leadership characteristics along with books and cash prizes.
Secondly, Girl Child empowerment which focuses on teaching teenage girls on feminine virtues, knowing their worth and values. A campaign tagged ‘The virtuous Teenage Girls’ was held to this cause.
The third goal is to work with The United Nation’s SDGs that addresses academic excellence and entrepreneurship by organizing programs that discussed purpose discovery and the advantageous use of social Media to monetize skills.
Lastly, One of the goals of the Change Initiative is community development and partnership with like minded organizations.
Before the emergence of TCI, Annette was constantly -and still is- involved in volunteering for initiatives which share the same goal as her. Although not internationally recognized, TCI had been nominated for several awards within Cameroon and also partner’s with Nationwide organizations like Byou leadership Academy, Touching lives international, Great mind development and the list go on.
Having reached such milestone in less than a year, Annette sees The Change Initiative becoming a four-walled leadership academy, one of the largest youth organizations , partner with the UN and like minded initiatives in the nearest future.
She didn’t fail to mention that introducing skill monetization, real life and leadership education into our school curriculum is an important way to tackle Africa’s leadership standard.
GAYFLOR BEYAN GARVELEE Jr.
Founder and executive director, Lift Liberia Fellowship.
Liberia
Beyan is a youth advocate born in Liberia in the early nineties, a former sophomore student of Cuttington University, Bong county, Liberia studying History and International Relations. Ayoung African passionate about the growth of teeming youths in area of leadership with over 7 years of experience in working with young people and community engagement.
Holding several certificates of leadership, he is an ambassador of peace and youth development from IFED, Accra, Ghana and also the founder of Lift Liberia Fellowship; a youth driven organization established in July, 2017, focused on transformation particularly in the areas of mentorship, leadership, entrepreneurship and career development.
Long before his resolve to find the LLF, Gayflor Beyan had partook and volunteered in numerous humanitarian conferences and activities of local and international organizations like Nation of vision- USA, Sustainable Oceans Alliance- USA, Manifestation Youth Ministry International, NAYMOTE- Liberia and alternative Youth Reaction, Zorzor- Liberia and like minded initiatives that addresses youth leadership and capacity building. This has won him several awards and recognition in and out of his home country.
It was during one of these conferences that he received the vision of founding The Lift Liberia Fellowship.
“The idea of LLF was dropped during a youth conference in Accra, Ghana. I was motivated and inspired by the way young people from other African countries had gathered to learn issues about the UN and also connect together to contribute to the community”.
Lift Liberia focuses on youth between age 18 and 35 and her mission is to lift Liberia up off the dungeon and status quo in respect to capacity building, politics and economy through young people and finding eco-people solutions to the challenges.
Driven by the zeal to engage young Africans in making positive changes to national interests, community, family and self, through his initiative in the last years, Beyan has been able to mentor countless youths in career development, raise funds for business start-up of young entrepreneurs and secure scholarship for students.
With the plan to do more in the years to come in and outside of Liberia, Beyan hope to carry this project through the whole of Africa and the world at large.
“One of the ways to make Africa breathe again is the cultivation of our mindsets”
He further explained that the issue we are faced can be traced to our ancestors, however, we that are left could make it better by conscious selfless act of leading.
When Beyan isn’t engaged, he loves to unwind by reading and one of his favorite authors is Dr. John C. Maxwell.
EMMANIEL JOLAYEMI
SPOKEN WORD ARTISTE & RIGHTS ACTIVIST
Nigeria
Emmanuel Jolayemi, popularly known as Kormbat, is a young, creative and passionate individual; a poet, spoken word artiste and Human right activist. Bagged a first degree with distinction in Computer science at Babcock University, Nigeria.
Once a victim of depression and would have had a successful suicide but for divine intervention through the power of words from a popular spoken word artiste by the name Janette Watson (aka Jannette…ikz). His form of art was conceived from this encounter and the burning passion to lift souls in the same predicament. His debut album ‘Blown: the journey” was acclaimed in no time and available on all platforms for streaming.
Two weeks after his encounter, Kormbat soon realized there is more to mental illness that people are oblivious of . So, he took it upon himself to preach this until the world become conscious of it’s existence.
Kormbat has spoken and performed on several platforms among them are Tedx, The African Writers, TEENS Worship Africa, Ogun State Youth Summit, Leap Africa and the list keeps going.
Besides creating content and spoken word films on mental awareness, resolving societal issues associated with child trafficking, poverty alleviation, education system and much more, he volunteers with initiatives for social cause. Few of these organizations include but not limited to Yemi Adeyemi Foundation, Eco warriors, Asher Initiative, The Nigerian child Initiative, Dinma Heart Foundation, My Beautiful Mind, MentallyAware.
Despite the challenges that come with this, he believes to reach more audience, there is need to constantly come out with good content and also maximize his various social media platforms.
Kormbat pointed out Education, poverty and industrial development are critical issues to be tackled in Africa. To explicate on this, he wrote:
“concerning education: I feel we should change the old system of “classroom”…we should groom our children from schools to be inventors and masters of creativity”
“Actually with good education, the other two are solved because the growth of an economy is directly proportional to the educated workers in that continent.”, he concluded stealing a line from his new spoken word video titled: Redesigning the new Nigeria with new ideas.
Whenever, Kormbat isn’t shooting , volunteering or stringing some rhymes, he sweats off by travelling, hanging out with close friends or either he’s home with Netflix or eating ice cream …that’s some fun right? I know (whether he eats the cone too? Well ask him when you see him).
LYDIA MARLONE HONGO
POET
Kenya
Lydia is an interesting young lady whose perspective about life is to live it to the fullest of one’s potential and while at this, one should ensure to impact others in order to leave the world a better place.
“A well lived life is that which people remember for really impacting their lives in bringing hope and uplifting.”
She is a final year student of political science and public administration at Moi University, Kenya. Who doesn’t only speak but also act on her believes. Even as a student, Lydia has empowered young women and girls, participated in campaigns against teenage pregnancy, engage in interactions with disable children in institutions and children homes through organizations like Young Women Connect, Up for New Kenya and the Red Cross. And when her studies seem demanding at the time, she donates and contributes in cash and items such as sanitary towels and food stuffs.
She is constantly on the lookout for opportunities to do more in impacting her immediate community, country and Africa as a continent in the area of poverty alleviation, better education, gender equality and Climate.
Just recently, Lydia Partnered with Heroes Nations in their program tagged “iTrain Heroes” aimed at raising leadership consciousness among teenagers and youths.
After her studies and later in life, Lydia Hongo hopes to establish a foundation and partner with goal oriented organizations that address environmental conservation, youth empowerment, job creation and lots more to lift up Africa’s down trodden economy and standard of living.
Isn’t it obvious that we are not only filled with Mineral resources but also human resources?
Be part of Africa’s success story; preach it, write it, talk about it! Don’t wait till you finished with school before you influence the World positively. Do you know your story is what someone needs to hear?
Like these people, always seek opportunities to create positive impacts to lives.
God Bless Africa!
