Efe Johnson

Nigeria
 
 “Reproductive and sexual health is everybody’s business. This fight, this passion, is personal.”

Efe Johnson is dismantling social and healthcare barriers in Nigeria through Xari Africa, a female focused organization providing adolescent girls with access to sexual and reproductive health rights and resources. Efe was inspired to start Xari Africa after experiencing a lack of proper sexual health education and awareness in her home country. Through her book Just Period It, more than 1,500 girls in northern Nigeria have received access to free quality education on reproductive health and safety and learned to track their menstrual cycles for the first time. Xari Africa has recently launched XariAfricaAcademy.org, a free, online resource for reproductive and sexual health information.

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  • UNDP Goal 1 No Poverty
  • UNDP Goal 4 Quality Education
  • UNDP Goal 5 Gender Equality

 

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Mock Yi Jun

Singapore
 
 “Every person, no matter their background or socio-economic status, deserves a chance to pursue their aspirations.”

Mock Yi Jun co-founded Advisory Singapore in 2016, a youth-led charity dedicated to empowering young people from all walks of life to make informed career and education choices. Since then, Advisory Singapore has raised over $140,000 and supported over 200,000 youth through its online repository of interviews with working professionals, learning journeys, industry panels and in-school education and career guidance programming. Advisory Singapore also runs Singapore’s largest pro bono careers-based mentorship program, delivering over 12,000 hours of one-to-one mentorship.

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  • UNDP Goal 4 Quality Education
  • UNDP Goal 8 Decent Work and Economic Growth
  • UNDP Goal 10 Reduced Inequalities
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Zubair Junjunia

United Kingdom
 
 “We can and will level the playing field of education by empowering youth and leveraging technology.”

Zubair Junjunia is an award-winning social entrepreneur dedicated to ensuring fair and equal access to education globally. Having witnessed inequalities in education firsthand as well as its potential to influence social mobility, Zubair founded ZNotes at the age of 16, an online learning platform that ensures all students have a level playing field when tackling high-stakes, school exams. This youth-led platform has reached over four million students in 190+ countries, providing them with high-quality resources and a peer support community. In recognition of his global work in education, Zubair received the Diana Legacy Award. He currently serves as the UK Youth Leader for the Global Partnership for Education and as a One Young World ambassador.

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  • UNDP Goal 4 Quality Education
  • UNDP Goal 10 Reduced Inequalities

 

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AY Young

United States
 
 “Everyone is an outlet for change that can power sustainable solutions.”

After learning that over 1 billion people lack access to electricity, AY Young, a Kansas City-born performer was inspired to find a solution. In 2012, he founded Battery Tour, a nonprofit that has hosted over 800 concerts around the world, all powered by renewable energy. “My ultimate goal was to get the world plugged into sustainability by using music as a vehicle,” he says. Battery Tour is used to fund, build, and deploy solar boxes to those in need. In the future, AY wants to use the concert series to empower other artists to perform sustainably, while continuing to provide access to electricity for those without it.

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  • UNDP Goal 7 Affordable and Clean Energy
  • UNDP Goal 13 Climate Action
  • UNDP Goal 17 Partnership for the Goals

 

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Kristian Kampmann

Denmark
 
 “Mobilizing and enabling people to become agents of change is how I want to create real impact for the Global Goals.”

Kristian Kampmann is a co-owner and partner with Dalberg Media, a mission-driven communications and experiences consultancy that mobilizes people, organizations and systems to solve global development challenges. Kristian is also the former Head of UNLEASH, a global nonprofit platform, which Dalberg was a long-term partner of. Starting in 2016, Kristian helped build the organization from an idea on a piece of paper to a global, youth-led movement for the SDGs. At UNLEASH, Kristian oversaw various projects, including the Global Innovation Lab which gathers 1,000 young people to problem-solve for the Global Goals. Today, Kristian continues to work with young entrepreneurs who are enabling social and environmental change.

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  • UNDP Goal 8 Decent Work and Economic Growth
  • UNDP Goal 9 Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
  • UNDP Goal 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities

 

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Nora Altwaijri

Saudi Arabia
 
 “We’re living in an unprecedented digital era, and our Global Goals solutions must reflect that.”

Nora Altwaijri is passionate about inspiring youth to become changemakers and promote sustainable development. She founded 'Muatalaf,' a social development program that empowers ambitious young leaders through the creation and management of purpose-driven communities, fostering positive, lasting and sustainable impact. As a member of UNDP's Youth Leadership Programme for the Arab Region, she introduced the Sustainable University Initiative, which educates young people about the Global Goals and connects them to the resources needed to engage with these global challenges. She is also a Generation Connect Youth Envoy at the International Telecommunication Union, advocating for youth-focused digital priorities. She has a degree in software engineering from Prince Sultan University. Her ultimate goal is to empower youth to contribute to the Global Goals, driven by the belief that their potential impact knows no limits. 

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  • UNDP Goal 9 Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
  • UNDP Goal 17 Partnerships for the Goals

 

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Oğuz Ergen

Türkiye
 
 “The climate crisis is everybody’s business – governments, academics, and NGOs must take action together.”

Frustrated by the shrinking fish population in his region, Oğuz Ergen has dedicated the last few years to protecting the coastal Aegean region from the negative impacts of climate change. In 2014, he founded the Social Climate Association, a non-governmental organization that spurs dialogue between young people on the Global Goals and mobilizes their active participation in civil society. In 2020, Oğuz played an active role in founding the Coastal Aegean Climate Network, a hub focused on advocacy campaigns that push for protecting wetlands, cleaning the Aegean Sea, and developing policy. He also leads trainings on the climate crisis in both national and international communities and is a member of the Executive Committee of the National Youth Parliament. 

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  • UNDP Goal 13 Climate Action
  • UNDP Goal 14 Life Below Water
  • UNDP Goal 15 Life on Land

 

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Tamara Dewi Gondo Soerijo

Indonesia
 
 “Reproductive and sexual health is everybody’s business. This fight, this passion, is personal.”

Tamara Wu is CEO of Liberty Society, a social enterprise that manufactures and sells eco-friendly B2B merchandise to fund the upskilling of 1,000 marginalized women in Indonesia. Liberty Society empowers women affected by poverty and violence with vocational skills and market access. Since its launch, Liberty Society has provided 300 women with opportunities through its tailoring and entrepreneurship training. Since its founding, Liberty Society has also worked with over 200 companies, including Samsung, Ikea and H&M. In 2021, Liberty Society received UN Women Indonesia’s Women Empowerment Principles Award and placed in the top four for the World’s Youth Ecopreneur Award. Tamara is also an active community development and social entrepreneurship mentor to various organizations in across South-East Asia.

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  • UNDP Goal 5 Gender Equality
  • UNDP Goal 8 Decent Work and Economic Growth
  • UNDP Goal 12 Responsible Consumption and Production

 

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Thùy Anh Ngô

Viet Nam
 
 “Technology is a window to the world for the elderly. It improves their quality of life.”

At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Thuy Anh Ngo witnessed the disproportionate effects of the virus on the elderly population. Determined to ensure that no one was left behind, she developed HASU, a mobile app that equips the elderly with physical, emotional, and social health resources. In 2020, more than 12,000 elderly people in Vietnam used the app to access health guidance as well as exercise and meditation instructions and to connect with their family and friends. “In the context of the pandemic, technology is the best solution,” she said. Thuy Anh hopes HASU, the first app of its kind in Vietnam, will become an essential tool for the elderly around the world. 

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  • UNDP Goal 3 Good Health and Well-Being
  • UNDP Goal 4 Quality Education
  • UNDP Goal 10 Reduced Inequalities

 

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Yejin Choi

South Koera
 
 “Everyone can use their own ability to help other people just next to them. Making amazing change in one human's life can change the world.”

Two months before beginning her studies at Seoul National University, Yejin Choi initiated tutoring sessions for children in a neighboring impoverished community. Promptly, she observed a lack of educational resources, particularly for children with disabilities. Over time, she assembled a team of professional therapists to develop a yearlong curriculum aimed at assisting hundreds of families. However, within just one month, usage dwindled to a mere five percent of parents. Recognizing the need for a more accessible solution, Yejin turned to technology, crafting Dubu, an AI-based learning program for children, alongside home-based remote therapy accessible via smartphone or PC. Presently, Dubu is expanding internationally and has positively impacted over 800,000 children worldwide.

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  • UNDP Goal 3 Good Health and Well-Being
  • UNDP Goal 4 Quality Education
  • UNDP Goal 9 Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure

 

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Yurii Romashko

Ukraine
 
 “We believe in digital. We believe in technologists who can think globally, act locally and totally change our world in near future.”

Yurii Romashko applies his passion for data analytics to address public corruption and advance policy transparency for health care and social issues in Ukraine. In 2013, he co-founded the Institute of Analysis and Advocacy (IAA), now ranked as one of the top 100 think tanks in Central and Eastern Europe. Additionally, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, IAA created a public dashboard that gave people transparency into pricing for medical and consumer goods. Yurii, a law school graduate, sees analytics and technology as fundamental components of his mission: To create an ecosystem for responsible governance aligned to the Global Goals, ultimately empowering people to make more informed, data-based decisions. 

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  • UNDP Goal 3 Good Health and Well-Being
  • UNDP Goal 9 Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
  • UNDP Goal 16 Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

 

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Máximo Mazzocco

Argentina
 
 “I told myself I was going to lead my own life to make the lives of others better. It’s the only way I know.”

As a teenager in Buenos Aires, Máximo Mazzocco wondered what he could do about his city's garbage problem. One day, he stopped wondering and started working on it. He visited more than 400 houses to teach them about sustainability. In 2016, he created the nonprofit Eco House, inspired by the idea that small actions can add up to big changes. Now, the group operates 40 programs at a local and global level – advocating for the environment and teaching companies about how to make a positive impact. It’s also mobilizing youth and educating more than 100,000 children per year in Argentina alone. In the last couple of years, Máximo advocated for the approval of more than 40 socio-environmental laws in Argentina, actively intervened to generate more than 20 Youth Councils and organized digital communication campaigns that reached more than 150 million users. Today, Máximo focuses on policy, working with government agencies, political parties, grassroots movements and companies.

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  • UNDP Goal 12 Responsible Consumption and Production
  • UNDP Goal 13 Climate Action
  • UNDP Goal 14 Life Below Water
  • UNDP Goal 16 Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

 

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Shomy Chowdhury

Bangladesh
 
 “We’re empowering young activists, giving them the skills to follow their passion and take action in their communities.”

Tragedy struck Shomy Chowdhury at age 19, when her mother died just a day after contracting diarrhea. The experience leveled Shomy. So did learning that 1.5 million people die from diarrhea annually. Shomy gave her first presentation four days later on practicing hygiene to prevent deadly disease. “I thought if I waited one more day, maybe someone else would die,” she says. “Doing something right helped turn my pain into strength.” More presentations followed, many to sex workers, sanitation workers and others who are often marginalized and live in extreme poverty. Today, Shomy funnels her strength through Awareness 360, an organization she cofounded that now trains over 20,000 young activists across 40+ countries and has already reached over 2.1 million people. Because of her work, Shomy was named to the Forbes 30-under-30 Asia list and as a McCain Global Leader. She currently works as a Project Manager at The Diana Award.

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  • UNDP Goal 1 No Poverty
  • UNDP Goal 3 Good Health and Well-Being
  • UNDP Goal 5 Gender Equality
  • UNDP Goal 6 Clean Water and Sanitation

 

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Tafara Makaza

Zimbabwe
 
 “Technology plays a pivotal role in scaling my work. Now, when I think about helping people find jobs, I’m not thinking of 800 people—I’m thinking of 800,000.”

When Tafara Makaza sees a problem, he can’t resist. He works relentlessly to solve it. Born in Zimbabwe, Tafara saw that most of the population across Africa lacked access to formal job opportunities. This challenge even drove his highly educated mother to work abroad for a month at a time. It was in 2016 at Williams College when Tafara discovered the power of technology and knew instantly how to drive change himself. Tafara collaborated with his college peers to co-found Fixa, a tech startup dedicated to helping businesses find, manage and pay frontline workers. Today, Fixa has connected over 8,000 workers to more than 300,000 job opportunities and disbursed more than $2 million in salaries. Tafara is on a mission to create digital career identities for workers, providing them access to essential financial and social benefits traditionally beyond their reach.

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  • UNDP Goal 1 No Poverty
  • UNDP Goal 8 Decent Work and Economic Growth
  • UNDP Goal 11 Sustainable Cities and Communities

 

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Sadya Touré

Mali
 
 “The Sustainable Development Goals are very personal for me. I think they should be personal for everyone. And I think we can achieve them before 2030.”

Sadya Touré is a women’s rights activist in Mali. At 13, she joined Mali’s National Parliament of Children, where she skipped school lunch to save money to travel to events promoting girls’ education and fight against female genital mutilation (FGM). Later, Sadya educated older, all-male village councils about FGM’s disastrous effects on women’s health, and founded an organization, Mali Women and Youth Empowerment, that provides full university scholarships, housing assistance and career training to girls from rural Mali. She has also written two books and her next goal: to win a seat in Mali’s parliament. She is an alumna of the Mandela Washington Fellowship, graduating with a degree in journalism & communications and holds a master’s degree in international relations and diplomacy.

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  • UNDP Goal 3 Good Health and Well-Being
  • UNDP Goal 5 Gender Equality
  • UNDP Goal 6 Clean Water and Sanitation
  • UNDP Goal 16 Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions

 

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Rahaf Abu Mayyaleh

Jordan

"Green technology is the key to a sustainable future, and young innovators have the power to lead this transformation. Through IBTKRGO, I strive to bridge the gap between technology and sustainability, ensuring solutions that serve both people and the planet."

Rahaf Abu Mayyaleh is a climate and youth activist, a green technology advocate, and an SDGs believer. She is the founder of IBTKRGO, a green project that designs eco-friendly educational kits with recyclable electronic components, equipping youth with digital skills while reducing electronic waste.

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José Francisco Ochoa

Ecuador
"The ocean sustains life, yet many don’t realize how deeply connected we are to it. We must embrace innovation, education, and collective action to protect our blue planet before it’s too late."

José Francisco Ochoa is a biologist and co-founder of Academia del Océano, an initiative dedicated to marine conservation, sustainability, and digital education for Spanish-speaking communities. Through online and in-person programs, he has equipped thousands across Latin America with the knowledge and skills to protect ocean ecosystems and drive lasting environmental action.

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Renata Koch Alvarenga 

Brazil

“As the oceans rise, so do the women of the world. Climate disasters are exacerbating inequality, but through the Global Goals, we can adopt a feminist lens to climate action. The 2030 Agenda's motto of leaving no one behind inspired me from a young age to connect social justice and women's empowerment to the climate crisis response”.

Renata, a Harvard graduate and Forbes Under 30 lister, is a Brazilian leader in the global climate movement, focusing on gender equality and youth leadership. Founder and Executive Director of EmpoderaClima, a youth-led organization advocating for women's empowerment and climate justice in Latin America, Renata has been a prominent voice for gender-just climate solutions, speaking at high-level events internationally and implementing high-impact educational projects in Brazil for young women in the climate space.

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Soumya Dabriwal

India

"Access to Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) is not a privilege- it is a fundamental human right”. 

Soumya Dabriwal is the Co-Founder of Project Baala, a social enterprise focused on innovating and delivering sustainable menstrual and reproductive health solutions for communities across the globe. Through customised education programs, eco-friendly period products, engaging with policy frameworks and conducting intersectional research, Project Baala has impacted millions across India and beyond, fostering dignity, health, and sustainability.

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Brigitta Maria Andrea Gunawan

Indonesia

“At 17, it struck me that we were nothing but a small speck in a big world that remains largely unexplored—that if we continued as bystanders, we would see this fragile ecosystem cripple within our lifetime—so there I was, ready to co-create a future where people and planet prosper.”

Brigitta Gunawan is an ocean-climate advocate from Indonesia who connects intergenerational communities through science, education, and storytelling. As the founder of 30x30 Indonesia and its global education program, Diverseas, she has engaged with over 14,000 people in 100+ locations by leading environmental education initiatives using immersive media, providing hands-on opportunities for policy advocacy, and collaborating with diving communities to build artificial reefs.

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    Meet the visionaries, advocates and entrepreneurs building a better future.

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    Explore the inspiring journeys of young leaders who are driving change across the globe, each one championing a unique cause for a better future.
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    Efe Johnson

    Nigeria

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    Mock Yi Jun

    Singapore

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    Zubair Junjunia

    United Kingdom

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    AY Young

    United States

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    Kristian Kampmann

    Denmark

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    Nora Altwaijri

    Saudi Arabia

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    Oğuz Ergen

    Türkiye

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    Tamara Dewi Gondo Soerijo

    Indonesia

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    Thùy Anh Ngô

    Viet Nam

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    Yejin Choi

    South Korea

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    Yurii Romashko

    Ukraine

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    Máximo Mazzocco

    Argentina

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    Shomy Chowdhury

    Bangladesh

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    Tafara Makaza

    Zimbabwe

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    Sadya Touré

    Mali

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    Rahaf Abu Mayyaleh

    Jordan

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    José Francisco Ochoa

    Ecuador

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    Renata Koch Alvarenga

    Brazil

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    Soumya Dabriwal

    India

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    Brigitta Maria Andrea Gunawan

    Indonesia

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