From 100+ Countries, Young Leaders Turning Hope into Real Community Impact

Lusaka, Zambia, June 15 –  In quiet Kabwe town, tucked in Zambia’s Central Province, teenage girls and boys gather under the shade of a leafy tree. Some are young mothers; others have dropped out of school. Just stone’s throw away, asbestos-roofed classrooms stand silent – symbols of dreams put on hold. For many, the path to returning to those classrooms is blocked by poverty, stigma, or the weight of early motherhood. On this day, nurse and youth advocate Sharon Mwaweza stand before them. “We aim to break cycles of obstacles,” she says, “by improving school retention, reducing teen pregnancy rates, and enabling these girls to thrive and reach their full potential.”

What is happening in Kabwe reflects a pattern repeating itself across the globe as young leaders address systemic challenges in their communities. Like Sharon, they are turning local frustrations into solutions with global relevance. From the classrooms of Zambia to the digital hubs of Botswana, from Somaliland’s playing fields to Bangladesh’s environmental workshops, from ethical fashion in Sri Lanka, to civic justice in Rwanda, a new generation of change makers is emerging. United People Global (UPG), a Swiss-based non-profit dedicated to advancing the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), has identified and supported these practical visionaries who are rewriting narratives about what is possible at the grassroots level.

Each year, UPG selects 500 young leaders aged 18-35 for its fully funded Sustainability Leadership program, equipping them to drive grassroots change. Participants join specialized “tribes” – activity-based groups organized by shared focus areas like climate action, gender equity, or digital inclusion – rather than race or geographic boundaries. The tribal structure enables targeted collaboration while fostering cross-disciplinary innovation across the global network – a system proving its worth as this year’s cohort tackles issues ranging from climate change to civic justice, all anchored in the belief that change begins where you are.

Back in Zambia, this philosophy takes practical shape through Sharon’s work. Her initiative continues to address what she calls “interconnected challenges” – school dropout, teen pregnancy and early parenthood – through its three-pillared approach. “We provide comprehensive support,” she explains, detailing the program’s blend of education access, reproductive health resources and economic empowerment delivered by local volunteers and healthcare providers. “It is not just about raising awareness,” she stresses. “It is about building resilience, strengthening systems, ensuring survival, and improving outcomes for young people by empowering them to thrive and reach their full potential.”

Sharon, a nursing graduate from the Defence School of Health Sciences and treasurer of the WMI Zambia Fellowship, has long been active in the space of youth empowerment. She has collaborated with International Voluntary Services and Family Legacy Mission Zambia to connect orphaned and vulnerable children to sponsorship opportunities. Now, through UPG’s platform, she plans to expand that reach and strengthen links between medical scholars and local clinics.

More than 3,380 kilometers away, in Somaliland, a different yet equally vibrant movement is underway. Amoun Aden Ismail is blending sport and storytelling to amplify voices of the often-overlooked including women, youth, and people with disabilities. Her project, Kick Off: Equality and Human Rights through Sports and the Arts, uses football tournaments and art installations to build safe spaces for expression, leadership, and advocacy.

Through poetry, paintbrushes, and penalty kicks, Amoun is proving that “creative storytelling, performances, and sports events” can be more than entertainment—they can be vehicles for healing and justice. “The initiative fosters collaboration among diverse communities,” she notes, “aiming to increase awareness of human rights, strengthen community bonds, and improve participants’ mental and physical well-being.”

Meanwhile, in Bangladesh, the next generation of environmentalists is taking root, in literal sense. Ifrat Hossain, an environmental communicator and activist, has launched Green Children, Green Future, and a nationwide campaign with two intertwined tracks. The first, VI PREAT (For Nature, For Children), educates schoolchildren across all 64 districts on climate change. The second, Vangari Mama, encourages those same children to collect plastic waste in exchange for tree saplings. It is a model that transforms trash into trees—and awareness into action. “Real change begins at the grassroots level,” Ifrat insists, “with the children who will shape our future.”

In Malawi, digital empowerment is taking center stage. Innocencia Ndembera’s project, Engineered for Impact, operates as a women-led backend development bootcamp that teaches coding with a purpose. The aim is not just to bring more women into tech—but to use technology to solve pressing local challenges in education and infrastructure.

Her work is explicitly tied to three SDGs: Quality Education (SDG 4), Gender Equality (SDG 5), and Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure (SDG 9). “We’re not only empowering women in tech,” Innocencia explains, “but also building impactful tools that serves underserved communities and promotes lasting change.”

In Burkina Faso, medical student Abzèta Sanfo believes that transformation starts with conversation. Her initiative, Empowering Girls through Dialogue, brings pupils face-to-face with women who have overcome similar obstacles to create a powerful mentorship model rooted in storytelling and visualization.

The sessions use “blackboard messages and thought bubbles depicting dreams, diplomas, and future careers” to help girls envision what is possible. “Girls see themselves,” she says, “when they see someone who looks like them has succeeded.” After piloting the project locally, Abzèta noticed a shift: increased enthusiasm, stronger ambition, and deeper self-reflection.

While on the island of Sri Lanka, Sammu Upeka Tharindi Thilinimali is redefining fashion’s relationship with sustainability. Her innovative work transforms textile waste into ethical fashion while creating economic opportunities – proving environmental responsibility and business success can go hand-in-hand. As founder of Ample, a sustainable fashion brand, Upeka is turning surplus fabric waste into biodegradable textiles—and helping other businesses do the same.

Certified as a business coach and known for her role in international programs like the Professional Fellows Exchange (USA) and Australian Awards, she is a vocal advocate for responsible production. “By setting ethical standards in textiles,” Upeka says, “we’re inspiring sustainable industry growth across Asia.”

Back in Botswana, a quieter revolution is taking place in classrooms but not about teenage pregnancies. Cybersecurity activist Omogolo Nthutang is running awareness campaigns for senior high school students—teaching them how to recognize frauds, protect personal information, and guard against cyberbullying.

Her mission is preventative: stop threats before they happen by building informed digital citizens. “We educate young people on the importance of cybersecurity, common cyberattacks, and prevention tips,” her team explains.

In Rwanda, youth activist Umwari Jovia is asking her community to think, and feel, differently. Her campaign, Voices for Justice: A Campaign for Humanity uses physical and digital “awareness walls” to document stories of injustice, from environmental neglect to social exclusion.

Jovia then challenges participants to a seven-day “humanity and sustainability challenge,” involving acts like reducing waste, supporting marginalized groups, or simply planting a tree. “It’s about leadership and empathy,” she explains, “teaching young people to act with kindness, fairness, and sustainability.”

While projects span continents and cultures, they share UPG’s signature approach: turning practical hope into measurable impact. According to UPG data, their Sustainability Leadership Program has trained over 500 young leaders annually from more than 100 countries through its unique blend of online training, mentorship, and optional immersive learning at Hurricane Island Center in the USA.  The model creates exponential impact – after completing their training, fellows return home to implement local projects while training others in their communities.  The organization reports its alumni network has collectively empowered over 86,000 citizens to advance SDG-aligned initiatives, creating what UPG calls a “cascade effect” of localized sustainability solutions.

From Zambia to Sri Lanka, Malawi to Bangladesh, these leaders are proving that complex global challenges can be addressed with community-rooted solutions. Whether through tech bootcamps, art collectives, recycled fashion, or sexual health education, each changemaker has found a way to accelerate change through their homegrown solution by themselves.

And as Sharon, standing under that tree in Zambia, gently guides another young mother back to school, the meaning behind her mission becomes unmistakable: “It’s about building and promoting healthy, resilient communities.”