In this special Youth Voices series, we reached out to our current LearningPlanet Youth Fellows to gain insight into their stories, dreams, hopes, and desires for the future, to potentially inspire the start of a new story for another young person and help recruit more like-minded young changemakers!
The first of this three-part series asks:
What would you say to youth who don’t know how to start making an impact?
Always remember that change begins with you – if you want to be a changemaker you have to start making little changes in your community first. Always believe in yourself, and feel that spirit of impacting inside of you. Never give up on anything you do, just believe in yourself you will get there.
Betty is youth activist, change maker and a gender equality advocate. She is the founder of a youth-led initiative that advocates, empowers and supports young people to achieve their goals in lives.
“Instead of admiring the fish at the river, one might as well return home to knit a net”. When you want to make an impact, why not start with a small step first. Besides, set short-term goals and build confidence as you complete task after task to achieve your long-term goals.
Lingyun has participated in activities held by the Red Cross, visiting and helping the children in the orphanage almost every year from 2016. Recently, he has worked for an environmental testing company as an intern student in 2021.
All it takes is a bit of creativity, research, and passion. You can research existing initiatives to start your own club/chapter, find other communities to join, or get creative and form your own campaign. The internet is a beautiful resource to connect with others – find a platform like LearningPlanet where you can speak up about what you care about!
Natanya is a leader in several youth-based social change organizations, such as Girl Up and GENup. Her future dreams are to grow even more as a change-maker and to start a career in medicine and global health.
It’s your turn to apply be a Youth Fellow!
Are you a young changemaker under 25 years old who is passionate about social and/or environmental impact? This is your opportunity to connect with a growing network of youth and engage with the wider LearningPlanet Alliance of 300+ organisations around the world. You will be invited to participate in a series of training sessions, be interviewed for our blogging space, participate in events, and more!
