Opportunity Desk is pleased to announce the 3rd class of OD Impact Challenge 30 Under 30 Changemaker list! The Changemaker List recognizes and amplifies the Impact of changemakers from across the world every year through publicity.
The 30 Changemakers were shortlisted during the OD Impact Challenge 2022. They represent leaders and entrepreneurs who are taking great steps to solve real problems and add significant value to the lives of people in their communities. Below are their names and profiles in no particular order.
1. Foday Ibrahim Kamara (Sierra Leone)
Foday Ibrahim Kamara is a Project Manager for Earth Regenerative Project (EaRP) Sierra Leone-NGO, and a climate Activist in Sierra Leone. Whose work is centers on Environmental Education, Mental health and planting of economic trees, arable farming and he has planted more than fifteen (15) thousand economic trees in the south-east communities part of the country where trees have been deforested or cut down for fuel (cooking food) and also planted more than three hundred (300) coconuts trees in the front beach areas in Bonthe district (southern part of Sierra Leone) to prevent soil erosion and making the beach become more environmentally friendly. For the past few years now he has been engaging in climate and environmental justice awareness raising campaigns in schools and communities in the semi-urban and rural areas in Sierra Leone. Finally He always pictures his community to be committed around the prevention of deforestation and the help to fight against climate action nationwide.
2. Grace Amuzie (Nigeria)
GRACE Amuzie is a 22-year-old graduate of Economics from Crawford University, an SDG4 advocate, a social entrepreneur and founder of Isrina School. She started teaching children in her community at the age of 15. Through the support of a kind sponsor, she was able to complete her secondary and tertiary education. She made an unwavering decision to promote access to quality education for every child in 2015 through Isrina School to ensure that children from low-income households in her community receive educational support as she did. Since inception, over 160 children have received termly scholarships, school supplies, vocational training and feeding support. The school runs a recycling facility that pays parents to bring plastic bottles to pay their ward(s) tuition thereby ensuring that their children get an education as well as contributing to environmental sustainability. Grace is a certified Microsoft Educator and has attended workshops for personal and professional development.
3. Robert Kunzmann (United Kingdom)
Robert is one of the co-founders of AC Biode and the Chief Operating Officer of CircuLite, a product of the AC Biode company. He is an experienced engineer and entrepreneur. After his BEng in Manufacturing Engineering and Management, he worked in the construction industry, where he encountered the large amounts of waste that go to landfill. Passionate about the environment, Robert completed an MPhil in Engineering for Sustainable Development at Cambridge. He then served 4 years as a researcher at the Centre for Sustainable Road Freight at the University of Cambridge. Before AC Biode, he founded and exited a gaming start-up. As a member of the Arctic Club, he loves outdoor expeditions and frequently visits remote areas.
4. Rokunda Lukoto (South Africa)
Rokunda Lukoto is a 22 year old young man from Thohoyandou, South Africa. He has always had a passion for charity and being influential ever since he stumbled upon the Ellen Degeneres show. In 2019 he joined Bright Young Leaders Initiative as a volunteer, after one his first assignment, was offered the position of Project Manager, handled some campaigns and tasks of the organization until he was awarded position of Chairperson for exceptional service in the organization.
Rokunda Lukoto is about to graduate with a BSc degree in Biochemistry and Microbiology with the hopes of using this knowledge to further advocate for science as a tool for improvement and motivation in minority communities. His core values are love, kindness, generosity and patience above all else and these ground him to keep striving in his duty as a community leader and a young man with big dreams and goals to achieve.
5. Ronald Mugaiga (Uganda)
Ronald is the Chief Executive Officer and Founder of Ecomak Recyclers, One Young World Ambassador, a Savvy Fellow, Mentor, and Coach for The Tony Elumelu Foundations and Startups Without Borders. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Biosystems Engineering from Gulu University, a Diploma in Environmental Management, a Certificate in Fundamentals of Project Management, and various certificates in Entrepreneurship. He is in charge of technical aspects, and strategic partnerships at Ecomak Recyclers. He leverages a network of key customers, suppliers, partners, and financiers, all crucial to business creation and success.
6. Aaron Elekwachi (Nigeria)
Aaron Elekwachi is the founder of NamNet Enterprises, a leading Nigerian social enterprise in the Telecommunication field, which is passionate about fulfilling SDG goal 16.10, which is to ensure Public Access to Information and Protect Fundamental Freedoms, and SDG 9 which is to significantly increase access to Information and Communications Technology and strive to provide universal and affordable access to the Internet in the least developed countries. Through his Social Enterprise, Aaron is pursuing these goals through the provision of affordable internet data, aimed at serving Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs) and low-income earners in rural and suburban areas in Nigeria, who have been shortchanged and denied access to basic information due to their inability to afford internet data.
Aaron strongly believes that access to information is not only a basic human right but also an enabler for sustainable development in areas such as health, environment, addressing poverty and fighting corruption. Aside from his social enterprise, Aaron is also a public servant in Abia State, offering his services to the state in the area of Media & Branding. He is also a Cybersecurity Enthusiast due to his love for providing security during and after the developmental stages of software and networks. Aaron Elekwachi can be found spending time alone in solitude with nature, away from the hustle and bustle of the city. This helps him practice self-awareness, meditate, connect with nature and live more intentionally.
7. Abdalah Nyambi (Tanzania)
Abdalah Nyambi is the chief executive officer at PREYO COMPANY, located in Tanzania. He collaborates with his team members and other stakeholders on developing formal and sustainable ways of plastic waste management. At the moment he is highly involved in developing the new and sustainable market opportunities that stimulate the local economy. Abdalah has always been passionate about environmental issues. He started working in waste management when he was 22 years old. He was always participating and volunteering in environmental events, campaigns, beach clean up, CSO network,Training for more improvement and efficiency. After spending more than 4 years volunteering and participating in different campaigns, He realized that he wants to contribute more to the local community in a both profit and non-profit way. His goal is to get in touch with as many potential investors and partners as possible to showcase PREYO’S amazing work and encourage them to contribute to making the world a better place.
8. Ahmed Paasewe (Liberia)
Ahmed Paasewe is a graduate of the African Methodist Episcopal University – AMEU, studied Management, Major and Accounting, Minor. He’s a Humanitarian, an acclaimed Human Right Activist, certified Global Change-Maker and an Action Developer; he has earned several certificates in Computer Science and Leadership Training both Nationally and Internationally; He’s the lead campaigner for the campaign “March4thMind,” a campaign against illegal substance abuse. He’s one of the lead advocates for Orphan Concerns in Liberia; He has published several articles highlighting problems affecting orphans across Liberia; and as such, he’s a passionate and dedicated public servant with an exemplary attitude that inspires young people.
9. Anna Von Wendorff (USA)
Anna Von Wendorff is a mechanical engineer and health economist with a deep passion for improving healthcare around the globe. She previously led a team within Stanford University’s Electrical Engineering optics lab which received numerous grants.
As the founder of Scopi, Anna leads a team revolutionizing endoscopy systems by removing the need for a surgical tower. She is inspired by technology which enables long-lasting positive change and enables millions of patients to live their full lives.
10. Anne Obize (Nigeria)
Anne Obize is a changemaker who is actively involved in proffering solutions to social vices prevalent among teenagers and youth through mentorship and personal development projects She grew up in Zuba community, an environment where 7 out of 10 teenagers stand the risk of dropping out of high school, joining a cult group, becoming pregnant, or being involved in social vices. In 2020, she founded Teens Connect Africa, a platform that provides mentorship and opportunities for teenagers to develop their talent and become productive members of society. She has consistently hosted monthly mentorships since 2020, reaching out to over 800 teenagers and featuring over 35 guest mentors in the Zuba community. She has also implemented two editions of the Talent Development Project and a community development service project in the community.
Within the past 4 years, Anne has led several projects reaching over 10000 young adults within 4 communities in north-central Nigeria including the federal capital city Abuja and online media. Anne Obize, is a Transformational Speaker, Author, Media, and Personal Development Strategist with numerous awards and recognitions to her name. She is the author of “Flip the switch; How to Move from Confusion to Clarity”, “Emerge; the Rising of a Star”, and co-author “Beyond the Classroom”. She is committed to empowering the next generation for purposeful living through quality Education and Media.
11. Augustine Macarthy (Sierra Leone)
Augustine Macarthy is a youth activist who has led many programmes that help promote peace, educational support, social and economic approaches towards children and youth empowerment and poverty reduction. He has also helped to develop and advocate for programmes that foster an environment where future entrepreneurial and community leaders can thrive and create jobs and community projects that wage peace in their communities.
The impact of Augustine’s roles and interventions have helped in seeing major shift in the dominant method of addressing contemporary issues dealing with access to education for underprivileged children, youth unemployment, leadership, and security issues amongst young people in Sierra Leone. His aspiration is to change the negative stereotypes of youths, by breaking the cycle of barriers between policy makers and young people, enhance their self-confidence and belief in a democratic system that guarantees their meaningful participation and involvement.
12. Kasoki Gisèle (Democratic Republic of Congo)
Kasoki Kahatane Gisèle is passionate about traveling and nature. She finished her university studies in Tourism and Environmental Management in Goma (East of the DRC) in 2019. Ambitious young girl, motivated and committed to the conservation and protection of nature, since June 2019 she works within the organization Congo Tourism Gate where she is in charge of an environmental education program named “Gorilla Ambassadors”.
Being an actress in the fight against climate change, within this program, Kasoki has trained more than 2000 young schoolchildren from schools bordering the protected areas on the protection and conservation of nature; the fight against climate change through reforestation activities since 2020 more than 500 plane trees have been planted in some degraded areas of the park and others around schools bordering the park. The purpose of this program is to bring young students to know and become aware of the risks and realities of climate change that their community and the world is facing and lead them to a positive action through activities that contribute to the improvement of the climate conditions.
13. Keletso Lekwakwe (South Africa)
Keletso Lekwakwe is a seasoned professional with more than 5 years of Innovation and entrepreneurial experience with a proven track record of success and extraordinary achievements who is self-motivated and driven. He is one of the founding members of PasswordKid(Pty) Ltd, Africa’s best and most trusted provider of advanced leading child safety innovative technologies. Extensive business experience in a wide range of fields. Keletso has a strong educational background and extensive knowledge of the ICT industry.
Keletso graduated from Richfield Graduate Institute of Technology with a bachelor of science honours in information technology. Keletso’s passion for innovation led him to collaborate with Ntokozo Hlomuka, another Passwordkid(Pty)Ltd founder. The two founders’ shocking collaboration resulted in them building the innovative idea & business “PasswordKid.” In terms of innovation, Keletso and Ntokozo share the same vision.
14. Joseph Don Ugwu (Nigeria)
Joseph Don is a Sales and Marketing Expert, and an Astute thought leader with the passion to help people attain financial freedom. He is the Founder of Kaizen Digital Academy, An online education platform where Africans learn high income digital skills, increase their income, and improve the quality of their lives.
He has written 9 books which includes “The Sales Guide” and “Whatsapp Cashout Blueprint”. Joseph Don also hosts shows like Everything Sales and Marketing with hundreds of Listeners, BASH( Business and Sales Hangout), Kaizen Hangout and Kaizen Fest. He has trained over 5,000 entrepreneurs, helping many of them move from Zero to seven figures monthly.
15. Clinton Okechukwu (Nigeria)
Okechukwu Clinton is an Optometry student at the University of Benin, Nigeria. He is the Social media director of The RETINA initiative and the project Lead in the H.E.A.L the world campaign where he focuses on helping underserved communities become free from preventable blindness by implementing sustainable eye care innovations, community outreach programmes and advocacy campaigns.
He has volunteered in 10 projects impacting over 4500 beneficiaries in 15 communities in Lagos, Ogun and Edo State, He is a united Nations SDG Campus Ambassador under the Millennium Fellowship. An alumnus of the Clinton Global Initiative University founded by former US President, Bill Clinton. A Pollination Project $1,000 seed grant awardee. A Peace first mini-grant awardee and a Global youth mobilization grant awardee. Clinton served in the Global admission committee of the Millennium fellowship, helping in the selection of change makers to pass on core values to the next generation. He is a change maker with the goal of providing better vision, one eye at a time.
16. Comfort Agbo (Nigeria)
Comfort Agbo is a social change enthusiast. She amplifies her voice actively in advocating for the rights and inclusion of persons with disabilities, protection of the rights of girls and women and peace building in Nigeria. She is passionate about practicing human kindness and has through her initiative Touching Lives for All, impacted the lives of children from no income families get quality education through various scholarships and support schemes. She is a dedicated, compassionate, and cheerful community developer where she oversees initiatives to inform her community about the value of education, with a focus on children and women, for their own well-being, the wellbeing of their families, and the well-being of everyone in the world.
Comfort Agbo studied at the University of Abuja Nigeria where she majored in Biological Science. She imagines an inclusive community with strong leaders on all sides. Another area of passion she has is volunteering. Over time, she has volunteered with many Non-Governmental Organizations in Nigeria. The likes of Hope for African Children, Plan International Nigeria, Nigerian Red Cross Society, Radiance of Hope Foundation and many others.
17. Ojirot John Paul (Uganda)
John Paul Ojirot is a visual artist, community builder, creative facilitator, event organizer and a founding member of Dream House Uganda. They are working to reduce unemployment, and lack of life skills while preserving the environment. They provide a safe space and equal access to education and humanitarian aid for vulnerable kids and young people to improve their lives through offering school sponsorships, free art, music, dance, skateboarding, and recycling classes and health education for the young people in Namatala slum. By doing this they are enabling them to be a part of the learning and implementation process in the developing society. Hence nurturing selfless residents and leaders.
18. Patience Agbamu (Nigeria)
Patience Agbamu is the founder of Kind Hearts Nigeria, an organization that aims to curb the number of out of school Children in Nigeria. Through this, she has so far been able to reach out to over 450 underserved children in Abuja. She is also a Global Education Ambassador 2022(ESV) and has trained over 250 underprivileged youths in Lugbe and Saburi underserved communities of Abuja on basic digital skills under the Global Education Ambassador Program for Education Sustainability and Vocational Development Initiative. Patience Agbamu is passionate about adding value to teams by leveraging on her knowledge of general management, communication and digital marketing to provide professional services to meet organizational objectives.
19. Peter Kweku Anowie (Ghana)
Peter Kweku Anowie is the co-founder and CEO of Kolics Company Limited (Koliko wear). Peter was born and raised in Takoradi in the Western Region of Ghana. He holds a first degree in BSc. in Economics & Business Administration and majored in Banking and Finance at Catholic University College of Ghana. He has three years’ experience in the banking industry and six years as a social entrepreneur.
Peter is an energetic young man that believes in team work and uses every opportunity to bring the youth together to brainstorm, train and empower them on how to create a sustainable business for themselves using the immediately available waste resources in creating innovative products that will earn them profit or rewards. He has had the privilege to be part of the panel in The Ghana Enterprises Agency to judge final pitches of startup ideals soliciting for funding. Also, I have had several documentaries with some international media like CNN – Insight Africa, BBC Biz 100 and Voice of America, sensitizing the need for the whole world to rally behind Green Businesses springing up to help protect the environment and also to help achieve the Sustainable Development Goals. He has been nominated for several awards and was recently among the Top 3 Finalists of African Green Grant which was organized by Eleven Eleven Twelve Foundation and was the winner of Innovation for Impact for Fontomfrom Amandze Awards 2022.
20. Stephen Nartey (Ghana)
Stephen Nartey Takitey is the Team Lead/ Project Manager for Special Grace Movement, a young nonprofit organization tackling the numerous problems persons with disabilities face by providing lasting interventions to make their lives more comfortable. He is a graduate of the University of Education Winneba with a degree in Community Based Rehabilitation and Disability Studies. Stephen has over the years collaborated with embassies, civil state organizations and other disabled person’s groups to devise his maiden project which trained mothers on management strategies, and created tailored education plans to monitor the progress of the girls
21. Tshepo Mangoele (South Africa)
Tshepo is a chemical engineer who spent several years honing his skills with globally recognized companies. He thrives on working as part of a team and enjoys taking on leadership roles. Both skills have served him well as the CEO of a start-up. An entrepreneur and changemaker, Tshepo founded LignOrganic (PTY) Ltd. in 2017, a South African-based company and the first on the continent to produce sulphur-free lignin. Through an innovative process using green technology, LignOrganic utilises waste plant biomass to produce soda lignin, hemicelluloses, bioplastics, and organic liquid soaps aimed at promoting the wider use of sustainable and eco-friendly solutions, particularly in Africa.
His training as a chemical engineer enhanced his problem-solving acumen. He enjoys finding solutions for both technical and design problems and applies his unique blend of scientific and creative thinking to his daily business operations. Coupled with his technical background, Tshepo also does abstract art painting, and creative writing and is into playing various sports. His niche area of expertise is making processes greener through the use of biomimicry and green chemistry. Tshepo’s vision for his company is to spearhead the global transition from fossil fuels to more renewable plant-based solutions by building the first ever Total Biomass Valorisation Biorefinery.
22. Zurainnizah Omar (Malaysia)
Zurainnizah Omar is a third year electrical technology student from Keningau Vocational College, Sabah, Malaysia. She has led her teams to compete in a case competition on climate change in 2021 and led them to present their project at conferences and innovation contests. Their project “Bubble Back”, a water filtering machine that is aligned with the circular economy model, has earned a medal in a prestigious innovation contest.
23. Musiimenta Emily (Uganda)
Emilly Musiimenta is a pharmaceutical scientist from Uganda. She is the CEO and founder of Milz cosmeceuticals. She is passionate about impacting her community positively and focuses on the formulation of different natural products that bring positive change in a person’s health. For example, conditions like arthritis, diabetes, obesity, psoriasis among others. Currently she is working on the extraction of avocado oil which is then formulated and prescribed to mostly older patients with arthritis.
24. Ndip Ojong Emmanuel (Cameroon)
Ndip Ojong Emmanuel is an exploration engineer in Mining and Water resources and a change driver actively working in the SDG1 and SDG2 sector (No Poverty and Zero Hunger) in the minority populations of Cameroon. His approach is unconventional yet impactful. He is the Founder and Executive Director of Charity Against Hunger Organization ( CAH),
with a proven track record of success and resilience in working in distant and minority communities. He does this by implementing projects that engage and empower these communities to build resilience against absolute poverty, facilitating access to clean water and strengthening existing systems in agriculture to promote food security in Cameroon over the past five years.
25. Dominic Kimani (Kenya)
Dominic Kimani is a Kenyan youth determined to transform the environment by providing alternative models for solid waste management in settlement areas.He has managed to make eco- foot pavements bricks for landscaping and briquettes to offer green energy to vulnerable families.He holds Bsc.Agribusiness Management from Egerton University and has in the last 6.5 years been advocating for conservation of local seeds and no use of chemicals in crop production to enhance food safety.He believes in social justice where all in a society are treated equally and live a dignified life.
26. Nyake Elem Yvette Cathy (Cameroon)
Cathy Yvette Nyake Elem is a young leader of scouts of Cameroon, an activist in plastic advocacy and a student of organizational communication. She believes in the power of the youths and think that all actions matter to create a better world. She has focused her curiosity and creativity in projects that highlight participatory leadership, collective intelligence in an entrepreneurial concept conducive to reality of communities, by impacting and influencing the achievement of the 17 sustainable development goals. Rigorous and passionate, she enjoys educating through the Scout method and global nature protection and youth development programs. These projects have enabled her to reposition herself in obtaining a master’s degree in environmental sciences and organizational communication.
27. Maureen Jesse (Nigeria)
Maureen Jesse is the founder of GIRL HYGIENE and a girl child advocate. As a result of her many monthly struggles as a child, she has dedicated her life to helping women and girls gain access to menstrual hygiene kits for healthy living. She started looking for ways to address the problems associated with menstruation in women and girls out of a strong desire to change things. She was chosen to serve in the Taraba State Children’s Parliament in Nigeria in 2016. As a result, she was able to influence young women and girls through the programs she ran for her constituency. She was chosen earlier this year as a 2022 millennium fellow under the Millennium Campus Network, where she participated in a number of management and leadership development sessions. Through the fellowship, she and three of her team members established the STOOP TO CONQUER project, which continues to have an impact on the lives of young girls in school and other community members by distributing hygiene kits, planting trees in schools, starting book clubs in some of the schools, and organizing an exhibition of posters on gender equality in the educational system.
She continued by founding an NGO to carry out this mission. She and her team distributed sanitary pads, pocket soaps, and tampons to 500 young women and girls as part of the GIRL HYGIENE project, which is one of her most renowned initiatives. The project also assists in teaching 54 girls how to produce reusable sanitary pads using soft cotton fabrics. As a humanitarian volunteer, Maureen Jesse has worked on a variety of other initiatives, such as the youth engagement day in 2022. She thinks this is just the beginning for her.
28. Michael Olatunde (Nigeria)
Micheal Olatunde is an advocate for good health and well-being, an Entrepreneur who is passionate about advancing human life through problem-solving and capacity development. He is a product designer with passion for technology, a generous individual who wishes to make a positive difference in the lives of others, his ultimate goal has always been to Impact the lives of everyone he crosses paths with. He is an Author of a book on Cryptocurrency, a freelancer, tech enthusiast, and teacher. Michael has organized webinars to impact over 200 people on how blockchain works and he showed them ways they can benefit from it too. He has volunteered for over 20,000 working hours, led his team through various competitions which brought recognition to his team beyond Nigeria, and created 3 sustainable enterprises.
29. Bill Jimice (Liberia)
Bill Jimice, Jr, is a youth volunteer worker with over five years of experience in youth empowerment initiatives including entrepreneurship, ITC Innovation, and businesses development and youth organizing. Bill holds a high school diploma and certificate in plumbing from Booker Washington Institute( BWI). Bill is currently serving as the coordinator for the International Study program at YONER where he coordinates, structures, and implementation of programs/ projects; researchers opportunities and develops relevant proposals, provides expertise on program content, including delivering public presentations about YONER Liberia and communicating the purpose of the project, value, and importance of the region. Bill also coordinates between YONER Liberia and local, national, regional, and International educational institutions; nonprofit organizations, and private-sector business interests for future program development, he submits reports to his Boss/CEO Jarius Andrew Greave. Since the launch of this program in 2019, he has recruited and admitted the travel of two hundred nine (209) students in seven countries in the world. Bill is proficient in MS Office Suite ( word, excel, and PowerPoint English, photography, video, and basic graphic design), and has basic ethical hacking skills in written and spoken English.
30. Kemigisha Tryphine (Uganda)
Tryphine Kemigisha is a social entrepreneur, wastepreneur and an environmentalist passionate about creating solutions around environmental sustainability and women empowerment and this what give her purpose, She is the founder Gewuza Foundation which unchain the potential of marginalized groups of people from the bondage of unemployment and underemployment while changing the narrative of plastic waste in Africa. She innovated MUNAKU SCHOOL BAG which extends studies at night for students and pupils off the grid, made from recycled plastic waste, these bags are waterproof and provide an opportunity for empowerment especially to those involved in the process of making them.
Tryphine believes that skilling those at the bottom of the pyramid is the first step to alleviate poverty in the most marginalized communities. She is a skills specialist and has trained hundred if not thousands of marginalized youth and women to turn plastic waste into different products on inherent value. Tryphine is looking forward to change the narrative of Africa towards waste so that communities should move away from collecting and dumping to more sustainable way of seeing it as a resource.
Congratulations to the 3rd Class of OD Impact Challenge 30 Under 30 Changemakers!
