Weekly Roundup: Ambassador empowering women across Africa & more

In the midst of numerous global challenges, OYW Ambassadors have demonstrated their continued leadership in their countries and communities. This week, Ambassadors have announced multi-year partnerships, been giving ministry appointments, and launched new ventures. 

Have some news to share? The Community Team would love for you to get in touch via [email protected].

Ifedayo Durosinmi-Etti

Entrepreneur Magazine Cover

Nigeria

Ifedayo graced the cover of The African Entrepreneurship Digest magazine for December 2020. The African Entrepreneurship Digest monthly editions combine trends, news, and the stories of innovation and creativity from startup entrepreneurs across the continent.

Ifedayo is founder of AGS Tribe, a pan African community of more than 1,000 members which connects women with opportunities such as grants, scholarships, fellowships, jobs, loans and discounts.

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Front cover Entrepreneur

Izzy Obeng

Lloyds Banking Group Partnership

United Kingdom

Foundervine, led by Izzy Obeng, announced a new multi-year partnership with Lloyds Banking Group to support black entrepreneurs and accelerate business growth Launching in 2021, Foundervine will be working with Lloyds to help founders gain investment, pitch to lending providers and improve opportunities for growth.

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Sebastián Arévalo Sánchez, Jonathan Puerta

YLAI Young Leaders

Colombia

Sebastián and Jonathan were selected for the 2020 Young Leaders of the Americas Initiative (YLAI) Professional Fellows Program. The initiative is a collaboration between YLAI, the U.S. Department of State and IREX.

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Nasha Cuello

New Climate Action Series

Argentina

Nasha's organisation Susstenabilidad Sin Fronteras is producing a new series of content focused on climate action. She is the co-founder of Susstenabilidad Sin Fronteras, a group of professionals from every sector with decades of experience who unite to devise solutions to climate change. They provide training, educational programming, publications, and events.

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Renan Ferreirinha

Ministry Appointment

Brazil

Renan Ferreirinha has been appointed as the next Municipal Secretary of Education of Rio de Janeiro. His life's work has always been the provision of quality education, particularly with Mapa Educação, a movement with the mission of bringing education to the centre of the Brazilian political debate while engaging hundreds of thousands of Brazilian youth, educators and officials.

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Nhial Deng

UNESCO Steering Committee

Ethiopia

Youth as Researchers (YAR) initiative connects and engages youth to conduct research on the impacts of COVID-19 on young people and how they have responded. Nhial Deng has joined the YAR Steering Committee.

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Sara Rajabli

Azerbaijan

Social Business Camp, founded by Sara Rajabli, is a three months coaching, training, and online workshop program that teaches aspiring entrepreneurs and innovators how to build a venture with a social mission.

In December, 13 teams presented their social business projects to juries, representatives of the private-sector (heads of departments, representatives of acceleration centres). The four winning teams will be mentored and coached by local and international professionals and entrepreneurs. 

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Sara update image

Lauren Wittig

Book Publication

United States

Lauren Wittig recently published her first book 'best. world. ever' which tells the tale of her journey travelling across six continents to discover good in the world and herself.

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Bibi la luz González

Book Publication

Guatemala 

The Social Gastronomy Movement (SGM) announced the publication of "The Magical Language of Seeds", an e-book for children which shares a message of resilience and hope. It's the result of a session led by OYW Ambassador and SGM community member and Food Solidarity Fund recipient, Bibi Gonzalez.

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Alejandro Daly, David Henry, Margianta Surahman, Vinicius Gaby

AstraZeneca / UNICEF Young Leaders

Colombia, St. Lucia, Indonesia, Brazil

Alejandro, David, Margianta and Vinicius were four of 10 Young Leaders highlighted by AstraZeneca and Unicef for their work catalysing a global movement towards better health.

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AstraZeneca Opp
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Ibrahim Jalal

Yemen

Alongside 8 experts, Ibrahim spoke during a debate organised by the Middle East Institute on the topic of US Yemen policy: How should the Biden administration approach Yemen?". Ibrahim is a non-resident Scholar in the Gulf and Yemen Program at the Middle East Institute in Washington D.C.

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Carlotta Giacché

Italy

Carlotta Giacché joined Arielle For Africa's Money-Check Webinar Series. She spoke during their 'Empower Her Finances - Financial Literacy for Women' on 13 January, with the aim to create awareness around financial literacy in Africa.

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Awards / recognition

Gibson Gala

Papua New Guinea

Gibson was selected by The Pacific Cooperation Foundation (PCF) as one of the winners of its inaugural Pacific Cooperation Foundation Youth Leadership Awards. The Awards acknowledge and encourage the contribution and achievements of young Pacific emerging leaders.

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Emmanuele "Em-Em" Parra

Philippines

The Global Volunteer Network Manila (GVN) was selected as a winner of the inaugural Carla Jones Social Impact Award. Em-Em is the GVL Lead for Asia and Pacific Region which works to support victims of human trafficking, modern slavery, cybersex, and forced labour.

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Albert Kure

Nigeria

Albert Kure received one of three Global Mentor of the Year Awards from the Thought For Food Foundation (TFF). The organisation unlocks youth potential to deliver targeted, cutting-edge, science and technology-driven innovation to lead a sustainable food and agricultural revolution.

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Editar Adhiambo Ochieng

Kenya

Editar was a recipient of the Wangari Maathai Award in 2020, becoming the first ever winner of the award. She was recognised for her working in advocating for women's rights and helping survivors of sexual violence.

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Queenie Chong

Brunei 

Queenie Chong, the CEO and co-founder of Memori, has become the first Bruneian to be selected as The Edmund Hillary Fellow. The fellowship offers a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for visionary entrepreneurs, investors, and start-up teams to live and work in New Zealand to create scalable and positive global impact.

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Marc Alain Boucicault

Haiti

Marc was selected as one of "The 20 Most Influential Young People in 2020" by Volontaires pour la Démocratie. An ecosystem builder, Marc is the founder of Banj, the first and biggest entrepreneurship hub of Port-au-Prince.

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Spandana Palaypu

India

ZoEasy was featured by the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network - Youth in the 4th Edition of their Youth Solutions Report. ZoEasy - founded by Spandana Palaypu - were one of 50 brilliant innovators chosen from around the globe, who are driving impact within their communities.

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Maxine Gray

South Africa

Maxine Gray was the UN Global Compact South Africa's 2020 SDG Pioneer winner, recognised for her efforts in showing how business can be a force for good. She will advance to the Global Round and an overall winner will be announced at the 2021 UN Global Compact Leaders' Summit.

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Ahmad Nawaz

Pakistan

Ahmad Nawaz feature

Xiangkun (Elvis) Cao

China

Elvis feature

Pratik Gauri

India

Pratik feature

Salam Al-Nukta

Syria

Salam Al-Nukta

Melissa Pascal-Perseval

Trinidad & Tobago

Melissa feature

Ronelle King

Barbados

Ronelle feature