Youth Time joins the rest of the world in acknowledging and celebrating the role of youngsters as drivers in socio-economic development in three levels; local, national, and global. The wellness, contribution and engagement of 1.8 billion young people worldwide is highlighted by the marking of International Youth Day (IYD), today, in 12th of August. This day seeks to recognize endeavors of the youth in enhancing society. To celebrate, Youth Time covers most interesting initiatives for start-ups run by young people from the last 5 years.
Such an occasion is special and memorable for all of us at Youth Time and we could not wrap our mind around what to cover first. So, we decided to make a two-piece combination of the most compelling and inspiring young people and of the most interesting start-ups initiated by young people that Youth Time contributors covered during the last five years.
As a platform run by young people for young people we take pride in covering all sorts of youth stories helping the youth to prepare for a better future. Youth who transform their community to thrive and conquer in any challenge or shortcoming. Every day, with every piece published we show our dedication by covering meaningful stories written by the youth for the youth.
The previous piece was dedicated to the most powerful young people we have published during the last five years. Whereas this one goes for the most interesting initiatives for start-ups run by young people, we have covered during the same period of time.
Below you will hear five star-ups led by young people, as a reconfirmation of their irreplaceable role in developing not only their communities, but the world also. As Aristotle said “Good habits formed at youth make all the difference”, and these young people did nothing else but found a good habit and turn it into a great benefit for their societies.
Akshaya Shanmugam: The Revolution in Fighting Addictions Has Begun
Growing up in India, where access to medical treatment was often mission impossible, Akshaya Shanmugam personal experience with medical care had a massive impact on her career choice. Her hard work made her become CEO of Lumme Labs, a scientist and an entrepreneur, but her ambition and vision put her on this year’s prestigious Forbes 30 under 30 list of innovators. Her company, Lumme Inc., has raised $1.7 million in non-dilutive funding and has produced a device that will help people quit smoking!
She spoke about her dedicated team, their efforts, and her extraordinary journey in this interview for Youth Time magazine.
Dr. Akshaya Shanmugam: the Revolution in Fighting Addictions Has Begun
Solar Energy NGO – Rays4Hope – the extraordinary journey of the 17-year-old, Saif Nasr
In this Youth Time interview you will learn about Rays4Hope, a young solar energy NGO from Washington D.C. run by high school students. The initiative is on the ambitious mission to provide electricity to as many rural communities in Bangladesh, Ghana, and Madagascar as possible. Within a year of its founding, the NGO has installed 36 solar panels that provide access to education and daily activities after sunset for 36 families.
Saif Nasr, the 17-year-old founder of Rays4Hope, shares his journey from one eye-opening encounter with a Moroccan family to running his own solar energy NGO. Please click HERE to read the full inspirational interview with him.
Transforming Education across Kenya – Angaza Elimu Initiative
Kenyan students have recorded 24% improvement in overall academic performance, teachers have saved more than 45900 minutes through reduced administrative tasks, and parents have saved more than $78k by enrolling their children on a digital learning platform, instead of buying textbooks.
All of these figures record just some of the measurable positive impacts made in the community thanks to Kiko Muuo, a young activist living in Nairobi, Kenya who has turned his passion for education into an EdTech social enterprise. Inspired by his own experience with lacking adequate education resources, in 2018 he launched Angaza Elimu – and is currently working toward transforming education across Kenya and the entire African continent by delivering personalized learning experiences to students. This is his story.
Transforming Education across Kenya – Angaza Elimu Initiative
The Power of Moringa is Beating Poverty
The success of Lisa Curtis, founder of Kuli Kuli, America’s leading moringa company, started with the tale of a single African mom who had five kids and was left with no home and no income. She was the first person to be affected by Lisa’s dream of using the nutritious leaves of the moringa tree to improve the lives of women on the African continent. At the age of 23, with zero knowledge of the food industry, but led by a wish to make a change, Lisa managed to form a team of food, technology, and design experts and develop her startup. Today, seven years later, her company counts more than 1.5 million dollars of income given to family farms on three different continents. Read more about the moving story of blue flip-flops, Pierrette and Ayele, courage, vision, and having the guts to carve out the path that allowed an eager volunteer to become a widely recognized businesswoman with a place on the Forbes 30 Under 30 List of Social Entrepreneurs 2018.
She was bold, determined, and touched. And these facts have changed more than a thousand lives of female farmers all over West Africa, South America, and parts of Asia. Read HERE the Youth Time interview on how her amazing journey began and helped in strengthening women’s empowerment through the Moringa tree.
Transforming Fear into Hope at Aliento: Social Entrepreneur Reyna Montoya
Reyna was only 13 when she and her family were forced from their home in Mexico, ending up as a family with no status in the U.S. This event changed her whole life path, motives, and strivings. Growing up as an immigrant, experiencing fear, anxiety, and stress, but most of all, unfair treatment in many aspects of her life, made her determined to do something to make a change. She founded Aliento, an organization that helps to support the 6.5 million undocumented youth and children of immigrant parents by investing in their well-being, mainly through the arts. Her achievements, persistence, and fearlessness have been recognized – with her name appearing on this year’s Forbes 30 under 30 – Social Entrepreneurs List. Reyna Montoya is a girl who lives to teach people the lesson of humanity, and this is her story.
Read HERE the full Youth Time discussion with her.
Social Entrepreneur Reyna Montoya: Transforming Fear into Hope at Aliento
Happy International Youth Day from all of us at Youth Time and please feel free to reach us out through social media platforms for sharing any encouraging stories featuring youth from your communities.
Photos: Shutterstock, From the sources of YT / Photomontage: Martina Advaney
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