Sandra Akunna is a young leader who founded the Foundation for Rural Female Development in Africa (FORUFEDA) in 2019, a non-governmental organisation committed to advancing education for women and girls in rural areas of Nigeria and Sub-Saharan Africa. Her mission is to empower young women to unlock their full potential and tackle the pervasive issue of child labour in her country. Akunna recognizes the alarming statistic that 60% of the ten million children out of school in Nigeria are girls, and 30% of girls between nine and twelve have never attended school. To address this critical challenge, she has focused on rural areas often overlooked by other non-governmental organisations.
Akunna's experience attending the One Young World Summit in Munich, 2021, profoundly impacted her perspective. The Summit reinforced her commitment to the cause of gender equality and inspired her to expand her online and offline efforts. As a One Young World Ambassador, Sandra is actively engaged in the Berlin Community and has benefited from the mentorship of other Ambassadors, which has further honed her leadership skills.
FORUFEDA's impact has been remarkable. It began by sending five girls to school and has since expanded to provide 3,932 educational resources to girls in rural communities. The organisation has also supported 50 girls on full scholarships to pursue their education and trained 20 women in new skills through rigorous five-month training courses, with 15 studying business management and five in STEM. In addition, they provide psychological assistance to victims of gender-based violence. FORUFEDA is a successful initiative providing crucial support and STEAM education to girls at all levels, from primary school to university.
“Attending the Summit just made me confirm my decision to create impact for Sub-Saharan African women, it gave me the energy and the confidence I needed. Being an Ambassador has helped me accelerate my leadership skills, I see myself taking up more leadership roles.”
