Introducing USAID’s First YouthLead Scholars Cohort
How the Agency is building youth leadership
This year’s International Youth Day celebrates the way young people lead as agents of change and recognizes that their skills are critical to international development work and ensuring no one is left behind.
Today’s 2.4 billion youth represent the largest youth cohort ever, and yet, young people are often left out of the conversations that impact them most. Including youth isn’t just the right thing to do, it leads to better outcomes.
In line with USAID’s commitment to working directly with young people as partners in development, the Agency is proud to introduce its inaugural cohort of YouthLead Scholars as part of a new partnership with One Young World.
The scholars — participants of youth leadership programs hosted through USAID’s Youthlead.org platform — will represent USAID at One Young World’s annual summit, which brings together more than 2,000 young leaders from over 190 different countries to discuss solutions to some of the most challenging issues confronting youth.
USAID selected five scholars following their participation in two youth leadership programs, the YouthPower2: Learning & Evaluation (YP2LE) Youth Advisory Group and Youth Ambassadors Program. These programs provide an opportunity for participants to design and implement leadership projects addressing the issues most important to them, while also building their knowledge and skills.
Participants play a vital role in strengthening YouthLead.org, a platform designed for young changemakers who are making a positive impact in their community through service, activism, advocacy, education, and entrepreneurship.
Anxhela
Anxhela, a USAID-supported Youth Advisory Group member and member of the YouthLead Scholars Cohort, is a mission-driven advocate from Albania committed to the fight against human trafficking. She founded “EmpowerFULL,” which provides capacity building training sessions and sustainable employment opportunities to support the economic reintegration of survivors of human trafficking.
“The part that I have enjoyed mostly while being part of the Youth Advisory Group (YAG) is the diversity within the team and how each person made space to brainstorm on diversity and make tools more accessible for youth from diverse backgrounds…. The YAG experience has helped me to expand my network with professionals involved in monitoring, evaluation, and youth empowerment work. It has strengthened my research and creative design skills and broadened my perspectives on youth empowerment.”
Johan
Johan, a USAID-supported YouthLead Ambassador and member of the YouthLead Scholars Cohort, is a farmer and social entrepreneur in Colombia. He is a co-founder of BEFLY, an organization committed to transforming organic waste into animal feed using insects, and the founder of BLUECROPS, an organization focused on the implementation of biological control in agricultural crops. Johan has been working on advocacy for agriculture and rural youth since 2018 in his youth organization called Macizo Agroindustrial.
“The YouthLead Ambassador Program has allowed me to raise my voice for rural youth in Colombia and face the challenges of lack of opportunities in education and labor insertion, allowing me to create my leadership project Agricultural Youth Observatory. I hope to show our impact to motivate more young people, especially rural youth.”
Fernanda
Fernanda, a former USAID-supported YouthLead Ambassador and a member of the YouthLead Scholars Cohort, is an advocate for women’s rights, peace, and democracy in Brazil. She created the “Vote for Her Fortaleza,” a project to increase female participation in local politics and inspire young girls to participate actively in the electoral process.
“I want to use this opportunity [the YouthLead Scholars Cohort] to learn from professionals and activists from different backgrounds and realities to understand better how I can assume the role I desire in the fight for gender equality and how I can contribute to make the world a more inclusive and safe place for everyone.”
Clement
Clement, a USAID-supported Youth Advisory Group member and member of the YouthLead Scholars Cohort, has played a pivotal role in shaping development initiatives for thousands of young people through the YAG. Clement is a youth advocate in Cameroon empowering young people to make a difference in their communities. Clement founded the nonprofit Youths Inspiration, which provides local young people with mentorship and personal and professional growth opportunities.
“My deepest aspiration is to forge a world where potential is not dictated by circumstances but amplified by opportunities…. The aim is not just to transform lives, but to build a future where every youth can be architects of their own destinies.”
Tanya
Tanya, a young leader from Mauritius, was part of the inaugural YouthLead YouthPower2: Learning and Evaluation Youth Advisory Group and is a member of the YouthLead Scholars Cohort. She is now a research scholar at the University of Malta, where she is developing methodologies to bridge the gap between policy and practice pertaining to the human rights of minority groups.
“My earnest endeavor is to create learning, dialogue, and development spaces that are diverse, inclusive and transformative….”
We know that when we connect young leaders with one another, it has a multiplying effect that leads to great impacts.
Through the YouthLead Scholars Cohort, these young changemakers will have the opportunity to connect and compound their skills while sharing their unique perspectives with the One Young World community. The One Young World Summit and YouthLead.org can serve as powerful examples of the impact young people can make when given the voice and space to lead.
About the Author
Naria A. Willis is the Youth Engagement and Partnerships Specialist with USAID, working on the Youth Development Team in USAID’s Bureau for Development, Democracy, and Innovation in the Inclusive Development Hub.
