ABOUT THE MILLENNIUM FELLOWSHIP - CLASS OF 2024
United Nations Academic Impact and MCN are proud to partner on the Millennium Fellowship. This year, 52,000+ young leaders applied to join the Class of 2024 on 6,000+ campuses across 170 nations. 280+ campuses worldwide (just 5%) were selected to host the 4,000+ Millennium Fellows.

UNITED NATIONS ACADEMIC IMPACT AND MCN PROUDLY PRESENT JOHN KATUMO WAYUA, A MILLENNIUM FELLOW FOR THE CLASS OF 2024.
Kisii University | Kisii, Kenya | Advancing SDG 1, SDG 5 & UNAI 1

" The skills I will gain from the Millennium Fellowship will significantly enhance my social impact work, particularly in promoting sexual and reproductive health campaigns within my community. These skills will empower me to effectively engage with families, encouraging them to plan for children they can adequately support. This approach aims to alleviate poverty across Africa and reduce the strain on already scarce resources. "
Millennium Fellowship Project: Planetary Balance Initiative
My project's name is Planetary Balance Initiative (PBI). This is a comprehensive approach to addressing the significant challenges posed by rapid population growth in Africa. With the continent's population expected to reach 2.5 billion by 2050, a 63% increase from 2024, Africa faces immense pressure on its limited resources, exacerbating poverty and environmental degradation. Through PBI, I seek to empower families, particularly women, to make informed decisions about family planning, thereby contributing to sustainable development and poverty alleviation.
My primary objective is to promote family planning by debunking common myths and misconceptions that hinder its adoption. Through targeted awareness campaigns, I aim to provide accurate information and access to affordable and effective family planning methods. This will enable families to plan pregnancies and raise children they can support, ultimately improving their economic stability and quality of life.
Empowering women is a cornerstone of my initiative. I will launch educational campaigns to inform women about family planning, reproductive health, and their rights. Additionally, I will advocate for and support the education of girls, ensuring they have the opportunity to complete their schooling and pursue higher education. By equipping women with knowledge and skills, I aim to enhance their economic participation and reduce poverty.
My initiative also addresses the broader issue of poverty by promoting economic empowerment and sustainable development. By providing women with the resources and skills needed to join the workforce, I help improve their economic status and contribute to overall poverty reduction. Furthermore, I encourage sustainable resource management practices to balance population growth with resource availability, ensuring long-term economic stability.
About the Millennium Fellow
John Katumo is a dedicated and ambitious student with a profound passion for addressing climate change and its impacts on our planet. With a strong background in Petrochemical Engineering, he has founded a startup in the oil and gas sector that specializes in biofuel production from waste oils. By employing a circular economy model, John's company transforms waste oils—which would otherwise pollute groundwater—into carbon-neutral fuels, contributing to a more sustainable energy landscape.
In addition to his work in renewable energy, John is deeply committed to exploring the intersection of climate change and sexual and reproductive health. He advocates for family planning as a crucial tool in combating poverty and promoting environmental sustainability. Through his multifaceted approach, John aims to create a positive impact on both the planet and the communities he serves, demonstrating that addressing climate challenges and improving reproductive health can go hand in hand in fostering a more sustainable future.