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“With hope and a bright vision for the future, I consider a Right-to-Know H2O beyond my campus as an organization that can help create faster and safer travel toward clean drinking water” -Silas Gonzalez, Campus Director at Pace University for the Millennium Fellowship 2025 The cohort of Millennium Fellows at Pace University Water is one of the most essential resources on Earth and a fundamental part of all aspects of our lives. However, according to WHO , 2.1 billion people around the globe still lack access to safe drinking water. This is exactly why Professor John Cronin began the Right-to-Know H20 project at Seidenberg School of Computer Science at Pace University. Internationally recognised for his career in water and environmental rights, Professor Cronin together with Professor Leanne Keeley formed “Blue Colab” on university grounds - a space for students, interns, graduate assistants, faculty, and staff to advance the technology, information and warning systems that bring current water data to the community. Overlooking the Hudson River, the Choate Pond lab on Pace University’s campus, and the data lab in the academic center, Blue CoLab is focused on examining the quality of all water, whether you drink it, swim, or fish in it. All this work and more has motivated Silas Gonzalez to join the team to continue the work connected to water rights and access.  The cohort of Millennium Fellows at Pace University Silas acted as one of the Campus Directors for the cohort at Pace University during the Millennium Fellowship class of 2025. “When we all first met this season, I was as happy to see familiar faces as I was to meet new people. We held regular meetings to plan and bond with each other throughout the fellowship. I feel lucky to have gotten to know such wonderful people, and I feel even luckier for our group to span between the United States and Finland. This was something none of us have ever done before and I speak for my cohort when I say we were all super excited to meet the people in Häme University of Applied Sciences!”, he shared. The biggest highlight from the collaboration of 2 universities was the in-person meeting in New York, where CDs from Finland, Kira and Ampra, had a chance to visit Pace University, United Nations Building, and Manhattan. Through their joint project, despite being ocean apart from each other, both campuses produced a video, which represented 13 countries and showcased how the right to clean & accessible water is a right of every person on the planet. “Therefore, I sincerely hope we show that if our group can get things like this done from different areas, then there is nothing stopping anyone from taking their project as far as they can”, says Silas. For Silas Gonzalez, participating in the Right-to-Know H2O meant learning more about the privileges that can be accidentally overlooked simply because of how common they are in our personal lives - e.g. a water fountain in the hall or a full fridge in the cafeteria. “How even though we have something that can benefit us individually at the ready, it does not mean everyone does. Through the act of putting yourself into someone else’s perspective and imagining what they might be going through, I believe the only reactions you can receive from that are to be grateful for your own blessings as well as try to spread those blessings as far as possible”, he reflected.  Students of Pace University participating in the event As part of the Millennium Fellowship, the team organized an event called “The Water Walk” that fulfilled the goal of rallying people and spreading awareness of how women and children have to bravely carry large buckets of water on their head to bring clean water to their communities in other countries. “At Pace, members of Right-to-Know H2O and Blue Colab had gathered several buckets of water and towels, with the intention of having Pace students ‘walk a mile in the shoes’ of these women and children, taking the buckets of water on their head and carrying it across campus. Students of Pace University participating in the event Thanks to the strong dedication and commitment of these teams, over 60 students showed up on a weekend to help our cause. The sheer amount of effort, passion, and drive in every person working on this deepened the purpose of our project into something more”, Silas recalled.  He has taken on many roles during the Millennium Fellowship - as a Campus Director for his cohort, as a Master of the Ceremony for the Graduation Ceremony, and as a team member of the Right-to-Know H2O. All of the 3 experiences expanded the way he perceives global issues. “While I have always been passionate and emphatic about the need to help care for our world, I have recently realized how the mere act of helping one person can lead to the chain of helping everyone. Further, when we accept that this is a shared world with a common people at the helm, we can make a deeper connection of how this world shares a common future. This common future is one I hope to bring as many people as I can with me through a chain of kindness, empathy, and compassion. Additionally, being on Right-to-Know H2O has given me the knowledge that this can also only happen when we all try to take care of each other.”, he declared. The meeting of Millennium Fellows from Pace University & Häme University of Applied Sciences The meeting of Millennium Fellows from Pace University & Häme University of Applied Sciences “For the people reading the story of this team I am proud to be on, I hope that you gain some form of inspiration or hope from us. There are often times our scaled perspective can forget how vast the world truly is when seen through how small we make it. If you want to leave the world better than when you found it, you must be the change.” Written by: Silas Gonzalez, with a special thank you to Caroline Zanuto-Winter, Lizi Imedashvilli, Dillon Talactac, Graig Decembre, Isaac Lasso-Younes, Kiley Cosgrove, Mamoun Edfouf, Nailah Brown, Noor Huda, Phoenix Ellrodt, Skyler Flynn, Zachary Cherenfant, Professors John Cronin, Leanne Keeley, and to the Millennium Fellows from Häme University of Applied Sciences.

Today, the cohort of Millennium Fellows at the University of Zimbabwe is reflecting on their Millennium Fellowship experience so far: the breakthroughs, the setbacks, the confidence, the doubt, the late nights, and the moments of pure joy. The cohort consists of 21 young changemakers, all eager to make an impact on their community and the world beyond. “When starting something new,  you need to be willing to be transformed by what you are transforming; good impact is a mutual endeavor. We persist with patience, kindness, empathy, and honor, making ripples. Unified and amplified by our newfound community, we will make waves” - Millennium Fellows of class of 2025 from the University of Zimbabwe Photo of the Millennium Fellows of class ‘25 at the University of Zimbabwe The Shared "Why" Even though the majority of fellows work on individual projects, they are all united by their collective heart for humanity. Each project is people-centered and the group found out that they all have a shared goal, as one of the fellows, Panashe put it: “to improve the lives of those around us using the resources available, no matter how minimal they may be”. The cohort is full of can-do spirit, go-getters, visionaries and optimists, who acknowledge that most problems in society are faced by groups of people (such as children, women, students, etc). Through conducting training sessions on their campus and coming together as a cohort, students at the University of Zimbabwe that they collectively share a deep desire to serve.  The Unexpected Emotions Makanaka, the Campus Director, revealed that their shared desire to help “has opened up a Pandora’s box of new complex  emotions”. Many of the fellows discovered that they began to doubt how helpful they can be as individuals. Another fellow, Shelton, mentioned that the highlight of the huge scope of problems engulfing their society has made them ponder on the question - “is what’s being done going to have any impact?” Suddenly, the group felt sadness, doubt, and guilt of not doing enough creep in. Ntandoyenkosi expressed that “every second started to feel like a wasted moment”. Following these complex emotions came a discomfort of not knowing. One more fellow, Tadiwa, found out that she was saying “I don't know yet” or “I'm still figuring it out” much more than she expected. Through going on such an emotional rollercoaster, the cohort began to pursue the subtle art of the wait and the quiet resilience of knowledge. Through shared vulnerability, they created a community and followed a rather  simple motto - "a problem shared is a problem half solved”. The "We Didn't See That Coming" Moment After all the emotional discoveries, the cohort was struck by the reality of things. Soon enough, they faced a challenge: “What we wanted to do was new, but the systems we were working with had long been established; to make it all even more comical - we were new to the system!” The group received cold “nos” or even any lack of acknowledgement. As a result, all of the Millennium Fellows recognised their own dependency on other people, especially those in authoritative positions. Shelton added that “when you start, you believe that you will be able to do almost everything you need pretty much alone, but then you discover that you need help with 1, 2, 3, 4, 5... and you realize that you're not enough (and not in a bad way)”. On the other hand, Todiwa at first thought that “it would be easy to just build something and have people use it” but came to a realization that “without a strong network and support system, even the best ideas can fall flat”. The fellows learned that social change requires patience and persistence. Despite the rejections, the silence, and the betrayals, the team carried on and finally received the well-deserved recognition. Our Highest Highs They were invited to present their projects to the university’s higher-ups and to collaborate directly with their school’s administration. Makanaka proudly explained that “sitting around a table with the Dean of Students and the University’s Director of International Affairs, Marketing, and Relations - what we felt was the gravity of our projects, it was knowing that, despite the resistance, impact was possible”. There were highest highs not only on a collective, but also individual levels. For Tadiwa, one of the highest highs was “when I presented my project at a conference and received applause and recognition from climate action experts; it was a moment of validation for all the hard work and dedication I put into the project - seeing the impact it had on the audience and receiving positive feedback was incredibly fulfilling”. For Divine, one of the most significant moments was “when I successfully tracked down the background of a vulnerable child who had been living on the streets for years”. After long days of research and conversations with the community, she located the child’s mother and provided both of them with a safer environment.  Beyond the Project Somewhere between helplessness and hope, failures and victories, analysis and action, the cohort of Millennium Fellows at the University of Zimbabwe grew into the shoes befitting their impact. Ebbi pointed out that the Millennium Fellowship journey “taught me resilience and empathy”. Moreover, she grasped that starting something new is not only about results - “it is about listening, understanding, and adapting to others”. For Tafara now, social impact is a never-ending and flowing process: “It's sometimes difficult to admit that there was work at the start of it all and there will be work at the continuation of it all”. Shelton saw another perspective: "A belief in being able to effect change even with limited resources, because you are the resource”.  The Cohort's Legacy When looking back at the entire experience of the Millennium Fellowship, the cohort gets thrilled about the prospective future. Makanaka believes that “soft impact ripples through from the cohort to our peers through shared wisdom gained from the sessions”. While Divide hopes that the team’s work leaves a mark not only through events organized, but also “in the culture of commitment, courage, and care cultivated in each other”. She believes that in years from now, every fellow “will carry an imprint of the cohort in themselves”. Tadiwa added that the cohort could “become a symbol of what it means to truly support, hear, and see each other”.  Article written by: Millennium Fellows Class of 2025, University of Zimbabwe

Photo of Diana Aldabergenova Hands for Humanity  is a social impact initiative that addresses global inequalities in access to education, clean water, and child protection. The project aims to promote children’s rights and social justice through awareness campaigns, volunteer engagement, and educational outreach. I grew up believing that education is not a privilege - it is a right. That access to clean water is not luck - it is a necessity. That having a parent to guide and protect you is not a privilege - it is a fundamental part of human dignity. My initiative for equality began while volunteering as a teacher for children with disabilities. Those hours reshaped my sense of empathy and inclusion, revealing the deeper meaning of connection beyond what society deems “normal”. From there, I became involved in food drives and community programs supporting children living in poverty, carrying the initiative I began in my homeland of Kazakhstan to the United States.  Over the fall semester of 2025, I had the privilege of organizing a Social Justice Month event focused on child welfare and community action. Together with volunteers, we folded 101 origami cranes for children in need, facilitated puppy adoptions, collected toy donations, and raised $250 through a bake sale - all to support initiatives that protect and empower children. I also designed and led workshops for Pace University students on topics such as Children’s Rights , Multilateralism , and Volunteer Etiquette & Child Protection 101 , encouraging students to become advocates for equity in education and child welfare. The Millennium Fellowship introduced me to my second family, where all young leaders understand the necessity of a human-centric approach in building the future. Leadership is not about dominance or recognition - it is about serving others  with integrity and compassion. True impact begins when we lead not for ourselves, but for humanity as a whole. Why should we care about children living in poverty? Because we have the power and the obligation to make a difference. Every child holds the potential to thrive when surrounded by care, education, and safety. Poverty should never determine destiny. When we protect children, we safeguard the future of humanity itself. We are responsible for our future generation.  Article written by: Diana Aldabergenova Millennium Fellowship Class of 2025 Pace University, USA

An interview with Theophilus Venn, Millennium Fellowship Class of 2020 Adrija, Team MCN: Thank you so much for joining me today and for taking the time to share your Millennium Fellowship story and what you’ve been doing since. To begin, could you tell me a little bit about yourself?  Theophilus: I'm from Nigeria and I am a pharmacist by training and a social entrepreneur by passion. I run an agri-food brand which is into the production of healthier food options and we also provide alternatives to single-use plastics using food innovations. What we do is we provide foods that nourish the people and protect the environment all at the same time. Adrija, Team MCN: I'm curious to know how this space of social impact has been for you now that you have given so much time and effort to advance these sustainable development goals. Do you find it to be supportive? Do you find it to be isolating? How has that journey been?  Theophilus: I run a business which is impacting life, a social enterprise, Venth Ventures Limited. We are the makers of Venn biscuits and Edveen Edible Cup. Yes, an edible cup. So we’re making healthy biscuits through incorporating or fortifying it with fresh tropical fruits in order to improve quality of life while we also shape these biscuits into cups that serve as an alternative to single-use plastics. The journey has not been easy but I would say it has been rewarding because we got to understand that the best form of advocacy is actually demonstration. So what we decided to do is provide these foods that will nourish the people and protect the environment and we actually started out by providing something that the people would see, they would touch, and they would feel it in their everyday life.  Adrija, Team MCN: It is so powerful to hear how you have created a solution that is not just advancing the sustainable development goals and protects the environment but also it's fun. Could you tell me a little bit about what the future success looks like for you and for your project? Theophilus: We are building a scalable solution that tackles food insecurity and plastic pollution. We want to grow to be a leading brand in the food service industry and in the next five years, we also would like to focus on community impact as we promote the sustainable development goals. In the next five years we want to see ourselves become an export-ready brand across Africa and the global continents. This is because we want to raise our voice in global conversations around health sustainability because we believe that Africa has so much to contribute to the future in terms of food and also the planet. Adrija, Team MCN: Amazing, thank you so much for sharing that here. Coming back to the Millennium Fellowship, what made you in the first place apply to the Millennium Fellowship ?  Theophilus: I joined the Millennium Fellowship in the year 2020 as a pharmacy student from the University of Benin.  I am part of a community of students who look out for opportunities to make an impact and during that period, I noticed that colleagues from other departments were talking about the Millennium Fellowship and at that time the application window had opened. [The Millennium Fellowship] was an opportunity for me to share my ideas with like-minded change makers and connect with change makers around the world. So looking back, the journey thus far is the best decision I have made. This birthed a foundation for what I am doing as a social entrepreneur today. The biggest lesson I still carry with me is that collaboration will always beat competition. It is partnerships that make impact truly sustainable. So for me, that has been something I have been carrying all through my journey. Just start... You know why? Because little drops of water actually fill a bucket...small consistency and good actions can make the change that you desire. Adrija, Team MCN: As somebody who has also done the fellowship, is there one value that the fellowship taught you that you think that has informed how you lead? Theophilus: As a social entrepreneur, you can't do it all alone. You need to collaborate. You need mentorship. You need partnership. You also need people to believe in your idea. So for me, collaboration is key for any social enterprise. And if you would allow me to add one more, integrity is also very important. So when you are able to collaborate and you have integrity as your watchword, then I think you are on the right track to make an impact. Adrija, Team MCN: Thank you so much for sharing that. How has your vision evolved from the 2020 Theophilus to the 2025 Theophilus?  Theophilus: Like I said, the Millennium Fellowship birthed what I'm doing today. So it has not really been so easy, most especially coming in from a low income. But for us, impact is very, very essential. So even in our little way, in our little community, just in my area, I'm trying as much as possible to make an impact, to be able to influence policies just around my community in terms of mitigating problems such as pollution around my community.  Adrija, Team MCN:Brilliant. If you were talking to a Millennium Fellow who has just started the fellowship, what is the one piece of advice you would give them?  Theophilus: So if I had the opportunity to talk to my younger self, or fellows coming in, I would say, start where you are with what you have. Don't wait for the perfect condition. You know why? It never comes. So what you have now, just start. That impact you want to make, just start, learn, adjust, and keep going. You know why? Because little drops of water actually fill a bucket, little drops of water actually fills a gallon, little drops of water actually fills up a drum. So small consistency and good actions can actually make the change that you desire.  Adrija, Team MCN: I wish somebody had told this to me when I was starting the fellowship in 2021. I have one final question here, which is not essentially a question, but I want to give you the space for a call to action for the work that you're doing right now . Theophilus: My call to action is simple: support youth-led innovations. Invest in them, partner with them, open doors for them. Because when young people are empowered, they create solutions that are bold, sustainable, and transformative. Together, let’s build a world where the ideas of young changemakers don’t just survive, they thrive, and they make the planet better for all of us. Thank you. When young people are empowered, they create solutions that are bold, sustainable, and transformative. Adrija, Team MCN: Beautiful. Thank you so much, Theophilus. Is there something you would have liked to talk about about your journey that I didn't ask?  Theophilus: My project in 2020 was called Self-Help Garden Initiative, which advocated for nutrition education. Because of COVID it was difficult for people to go out. A lot of people were hungry during that period. We advocated for nutrition education, and growing vegetables and fruits just in your backyard, so that in case there's another lockdown, you don't have to start running around.  At that time, it was also providing some solution that could help with our environment, growing of trees. “Plant something and do something.” That was our little motto. When you have two or three neighbors bring together these vegetables, you can make a soup.  Then another area that I would like to speak about is opportunities for Africans in underserved, low-income communities. Yes, there are certain times that we've seen that it's been very difficult to access global opportunities, to access global speaking engagements, to access global recognition, but I want to say thank you to Millennium Fellowship, for the opportunity to raise my voice, and I want to urge other organizations to look right, into the communities. We have many change makers like myself who are relatively unknown, but they are actually doing great work within their communities, and we would want to get to the global stage so that we can do more.  Adrija, Team MCN: Amazing. I love how you put it, like learn, unlearn, and relearn, and that's how you built your movement today. Thank you so much for being with us and sharing your experience, Theophilus. Theophilus Venn  is a Class of 2020 Millennium Fellow from the University of Benin, and was recognized as an Honorable Mention of the 2025 MCN Stories competition. He joined Adrija Das of Team MCN to talk about his experience with the Millennium Fellowship. The interview has been edited for clarity and length by Team MCN.

Promise Anyanwu  is a Class of 2024 Millennium Fellow from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria. She also was awarded Honorable Mention  in the 2025 MCN Stories competition. Promise joined Adrija Das of Team MCN to talk about her experience with the Millennium Fellowship. The interview has been edited for clarity and length by Team MCN. Adrija, Team MCN: Thank you so much, Promise, for agreeing to meet me and talk with me. Could you first tell me a little bit about yourself? Who is Promise, and why was she interested in social impact?  Promise: I'm a final year student of health education at the University of Ibadan. And at the heart of my journey, there's this deep passion for health promotion and advocacy. Earlier on, I realized that health challenges in my community often stem from gaps in awareness and access, with people dependent on curative medicine rather than preventive. And this actually led me to initiatives like Health is Diversification, which is a rural health education program that reaches women with vital information on preventive health. And from there, I found new ways to use my voice while serving as the editor-in-chief of both my department press and the Nigerian Red Cross University of Ibadan Detachment, where I began to use media as a powerful tool for health advocacy. My leadership path expanded further when I actually served as the campus director for the Millennium Fellowship, where we united our voices around social impact and health equity. And I appreciate the power of collaboration in driving change. Currently, my work with the HPV-free future is especially meaningful through cervical cancer awareness and HPV vaccination advocacy. I'm committed to breaking barriers around reproductive health conversations, ensuring that young women and communities are empowered with accurate knowledge that can save lives. And the project has actually reinforced my belief that prevention and education are some of the most powerful tools in public health. And looking forward, I'm pursuing a product management course alongside my health education background. For me, this is not actually a detour from my original goal, but it's an intentional step to learning to design scalable solutions, manage resources effectively, and apply innovation to complex health challenges, whether it is through outreach, media, or system design. My vision is to build a career that blends both public health, communication and policy consultancy. Adrija, Team MCN: The work that you're doing is so important. What has the journey been like, what are a few challenges in the arena of social impact itself, how are you overcoming them?  Promise: Right now, my work focuses on cervical cancer prevention. And so that's actually at the heart of my Millennial Fellowship project, where we talked about cervical cancer, breast cancer, and malaria. I saw that the prevalence of cervical cancer in countries like Nigeria is actually due to systemic ignorance and misconceptions surrounding the HPV vaccination. So many believe that giving their children the vaccine is equal to giving them a free pass to promiscuity. My aim was to dispel these myths and empower parents and young people to actually make informed decisions. So my journey so far has been both satisfying and deeply challenging, because it has actually stretched me beyond what I thought I was capable of doing. It has made me break down all the walls I surrounded myself with, going outside of my comfort zone as an introvert and putting myself out there. But I'm deeply satisfied by the fact that each outreach, each awareness, each card that is filled, each vaccine that has been administered, means that one more girl has a fighting chance at life, that communities are now rethinking their stances, and adolescents who might have never had access to these vaccines are now becoming stakeholders in their own health futures, being change makers, propagating and creating a cycle where every other person around them will take their own health into their hands. And in all, this journey has actually been my greatest teacher. It has taught me patience, it has taught me resilience, and it has built an unshakable spirit of hope in me. Adrija, Team MCN: Thank you so much for sharing, Promise. Let's say, you know, with the work that you're doing with HPV Free Future in your community, say five years from now, what would success look like for you ?  Promise: Okay, with my social impact work, which is HPV Free Future, success to me would be creating a scalable product that would not just be limited to my locality and local governments around me, but something that will cut across states, local governments, where everybody will get to become stakeholders in this work, to create a ripple effect, where even the next adolescents will already have it in the back of their head that this vaccine is actually very important for them and are motivated to go to the primary health centers to get this vaccination. And I'm actually trying to build a career at the intersection of public health, health advocacy, product, and project management to improve and strengthen the culture of preventive health through HPV Free Future. I'm trying to design people-centered programs, apply design thinking and confront problems directly to make sure that in the next five years, it becomes a scalable enterprise that will cut across Nigeria to other African countries. Adrija, Team MCN: Thank you so much for sharing that. Coming back to your Millennium Fellowship journey, how did you find out about the program? What inspired you to be part of the fellowship community?   Promise: I actually first heard about the Millennium Fellowship from an acquaintance's WhatsApp status. So he actually showcased the social impact work that he was doing with his team. And I was intrigued. And it just felt like a light bulb went off in my head. Like, at this point, I already had a deep interest in health advocacy, but I didn't have a clear vision on how to go about it. And the fellowship seemed like a perfect platform: it offered skills, structure, networks, and even global communities that I needed to fully become my true self. So the journey itself was deeply transformational. The opportunity to lead over 20 fellows from different cultural, economic, and academic backgrounds stretched me in ways that I never imagined. Many of these fellows were far ahead of me in experience and even in levels. And yet they'd come to me, look for me for direction, ask questions, and all that. It was deeply humbling for me to be in that position. I had to learn that I was not here because I was better than them. It was just an opportunity for me to serve. It was my very first leadership role and since then, it has opened doors to many other leadership roles. Even now, as a study group leader in my product management track, I chased my shift in orientation back to that particular moment. The realization that I should always seek opportunities to serve and get involved, rather than just sit on the sidelines like I was used to. Some of the most valuable lessons I learned were first that solutions must be built with the communities and not for the communities. That when people become stakeholders rather than spectators, the impact is lasting. And second is that leadership is not just about titles or being the “head,” - it's about service, making people feel that they are safe, and creating an environment where other people can thrive. And the lectures, the peer network, further shaped my perception of life and my social impact. These lessons continue to guide me today in my work with HPV Free Future, and is how I envision my career at the intersection of public health, social impact, and product management. The fellowship seemed like a perfect platform: it offered skills, structure, networks, and even global communities that I needed to fully become my true self...the Millennium Fellowship helped me realize that I'm not to present myself as a savior to [the community], but as someone that is trying to work together with them to create solutions that they actually need. Adrija, Team MCN: That is so powerful to learn, and I'm so glad that was a fellowship experience for you. Is there one value that you learned during the fellowship that you carry on till this day?   Promise: It's not just one value, so I'm just trying to pick one out of the many values. But like I said earlier, it actually shaped the way I went about my social impact work because ordinarily we want to go into the community as saviors, trying to save them from impending doom. But the Millennium Fellowship helped me realize that I'm not to present myself as a savior to them, but as someone that is trying to work together with them to create solutions that they actually need. The Millennium Fellowship helped me to go into the community, look for the community's pain points, something that they actually appreciate and something that they actually need to be solved with them. The different case scenarios that were in the lectures and the slides, where instead of going to the community to give them money, they were able to create scalable initiatives that put it in their own hands, where they had to work to become stakeholders. So stories like this shaped the way I go about my social impact work.  Adrija, Team MCN: Amazing. If there was one advice you would want to give the upcoming classes of the Millennium Fellowship program, what would that be?   Promise: Make the most out of the opportunity. As the campus director, I had the opportunity to be up and center and to see a lot of my fellows. I saw different people, both the ones that came in with A-games, willing to serve. I saw the ones that just came to get the certificate. They're the ones that felt like the fellowship was going to offer them some sort of grant and they're just here for the money. But I feel like they should define their why. Why are they here? What do they hope to get out of the fellowship? And they should walk towards it. The fellowship is a platform that, when used judiciously, will reap ripple benefits in their future lives and careers, their professional lives. So if they maximize and make the best of it, it will actually show in every single thing that they do later on in life. So I would advise them to, first off, to know their whys and to let that why direct them in their four months’ journey in the fellowship.  Adrija, Team MCN: That is a very important advice to take home.To the wider audience who would be reading this blog, Promise, is there something about the work that you're doing you would like for them to know, any pointed advice for people who want to work in the space of reproductive health and preventive medicine?   Promise: So one thing I would want the fellowship to know is the fact that, unlike other types of cancers, cervical cancer can be, to a large extent, prevented as we have been able to trace  a particular variant of HPV to be one of the leading causes of cervical cancer along with other risk factors. So now that we have this in our hands, I want us to actually leverage it. So many developed and developing countries have actually adopted this and taken this seriously, but countries like Nigeria and other African countries have sort of developed a misconception around it, which is preventing us from going ahead and having a scalable vaccination drive. So I want people around us to actually take it into our own hands to, as much as possible, educate people around us, because it's collective work. It's a collective journey and we all need to take action around it, because one less person needs to suffer from this, one less family needs to go through the burden and despair of cervical cancer. So I want us to educate people around us, make sure that each girl has been vaccinated against the HPV vaccine, and we thank God that here in Nigeria the vaccine is actually free and readily available, but these same misconceptions and myths still serve as a barrier to them taking it. So I just want us to be change agents and propagators of this information to those around us, especially those in rural communities where this information is not readily available to them. Thank you.

Margaret Awoyo  is a Class of 2024 Millennium Fellow from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria. She also won the 2025 MCN Stories competition . Margaret joined Adrija Das of Team MCN to talk about her experience with the Millennium Fellowship. The interview has been edited for clarity and length by Team MCN. Adrija, Team MCN: Thank you so much for joining me to talk about your Millennium Fellowship story and the journey after the fellowship. Why don't you begin by telling me a little bit about yourself and who you are.  Margaret Awoyo: My name is Margaret Awoyo, I'm a Nigerian, and at my core I would say I'm a storyteller and a bridge builder. I'm very passionate about communication and social impact. For me, I grew up seeing so many brilliant young people who had dreams but not tools to achieve them. That planted in me a burden to create systems that would unlock opportunities regardless of where someone was born. Professionally I've worked in communications, branding and PR, helping organizations craft narratives that inspire people to take action. My deepest passion lies in education, empowerment, and designing ecosystems where possibility is not limited by environment. That's what has shaped my journey so far, and why I wake up every day excited to build.  Adrija, Team MCN: Could you share with us a little bit more about the work that you're doing right now and how your journey in the arena of social impact has been?  Margaret Awoyo: Okay, right now I lead the Bridging the Gap Initiative,  under Limitless Africa. We work with underserved teenagers to improve literacy, provide mentorship, and equip them with digital skills that are directly tied to opportunities. For example, earlier this year we started a book club in schools. Kids have told us, “oh, this is the first book I've ever read outside schoolwork. Oh, I understand identity better.” Moments like that have struck me, showing me how something as simple as introducing books could ignite a new horizon for a child. And on the digital side, we've introduced students to skills like video editing, writing and graphic design. One of our girls, learned graphics, started designing, and has already matched up with an industry leader. This is a reminder that when you give skills, you give dignity and responsibility.  The journey has not been easy. Resources are scarce and sustainability is always a concern. But I've learned creativity, resilience, and the power of starting with what you have. I've also seen our community and collaboration multiply impact. Working in social impact means navigating immediate resources, but finding creative ways to make lasting change.  Adrija, Team MCN: Of course. Thank you so much for sharing. Could you tell us a little bit more about your future aspirations? How do you plan to leverage the leadership and the social impact skills you have acquired in shaping the future?  Margaret Awoyo: My vision is to scale Limitless Africa into a pan-African organization that transforms how we approach education and empowerment, something that really finds access to opportunity based on creativity. I want to build student hubs that combine literacy, mentorship and digital innovation, a physical space they can walk into instead of a mobile initiative that we have to move from here to there, places where young people can learn, practice, and connect. The leadership skill I've been honing has been mobilizing people that I will use to scale this work. From my MCN journey, I learned that impact is about consistent, thoughtful steps that create ripples. My focus is on building strong, replicable systems that will impact without losing quality or depth.  From my MCN journey, I learned that impact is about consistent, thoughtful steps that create ripples. My focus is on building strong, replicable systems that will impact without losing quality or depth.  Adrija Das, Team MCN: Could you describe your Millennium Fellowship journey for us, particularly how you found out about the program and what led you to apply? And are there any learnings from your time in the program that you still carry with you till this day?  Margaret Awoyo: I found out about the  Millennium Fellowship during my undergraduate years from a friend. During the Millennium Fellowship, my project was quality education for all (QEFA). This was born out of the frustration I carried from childhood. While everyone believes education is a pathway to a better life, society has consistently failed to provide equitable access to it, especially for children in underserved communities. So QEFA was my first structured attempt to confront that disparity. I partnered with Slum2School Africa to advocate and create awareness about the access to education. We had mentorship programs for students in schools. We also had skill acquisition and we also provided psychosocial support because we were working alongside a professional psychologist to help these children in vulnerable settings.  The deeper I went, the more I realized that awareness was not enough. Inequity wasn't just about access to classrooms. It was more about access to opportunities, mentorship, and practical tools to rise above systemic barriers. It was due to that realization that I first started Bridging the Gap under Limitless Africa. In so many ways, my Millennium Fellowship project itself was the seed. But, you know, I would say bridging the gap is a tree that is still growing anyway. The vision has matured. It has become more practical, more measurable, closer to the sustainable impact I've always dreamed of.  Adrija, Team MCN: Amazing. Thank you so much for sharing that. I'm curious to know if there is one experience during the fellowship that stands out for you, and what was it? Margaret Awoyo: The fellowship was when I led my first real social impact project. But the fellowship taught me that impact is not always about skill. You know, it's about small, consistent steps that actually create change. And the campus directors then were very helpful. I still remember Gamaliel and Eniola. Millennium Fellowship opened my eyes to the fact that passion is not enough. The passion is there. It can cause you to start, you know, but sustainable systems are what sustain it. Sustainability is not something that you can take out of your project. Adrija, Team MCN: Thank you so much for sharing. As somebody who has been in the Millennium Fellowship program and continued on the path of social impact, what would be the one advice you would want Millennium Fellows to know as they prepare to enter the social impact space?  Margaret Awoyo:  Start small, but stay very consistent. When it comes to social impact there's that zeal to want to do so much, want to reach so many people, you know. But when you start to see the magnitude you can easily get overwhelmed. So don't wait until you have everything figured out. Use what you have, where you are, and even who you are, and let your vision go with you. Also understand that passion ignites the fire, but purpose is what drives it. There will be challenges, there will be doubts, and seasons of slow growth. But what will keep you grounded is the reason you started, your why. And finally, impact is not a sprint. Impact is a journey. It's something that you have to keep doing and doing. So you have to build for sustainability. Passion ignites the fire, but purpose is what drives it. Adrija, Team MCN: That was powerful, Margaret. Speaking about the work that you're currently doing, what would you want our Millennium Fellowship community to know? And if anybody's interested in working in the space of quality education, what would be any lesson or advice for them?  Margaret Awoyo: I want the communities to know that Bridging the Gap initiative under Limitless Africa is about giving young Africans the chance to dream, and build beyond the environment. We work with teenagers in underserved schools, through literacy clubs, digital empowerment programs, mentorship, and exposure opportunities. Imagine a student from a rural community, not only reading their first book, but also learning web design,  building their first website, and interning with a company. That's the kind of transformation we're creating. It's important because Africa's future depends on its young people, but too many people are left behind because of geography or lack of resources. So when we bridge this gap, we're able to unlock limitless possibilities, not just for individuals, but for the future of our continent. Transformation and impact starts with one person. You can look at the number, look what you need to solve, but you can start with one person and you don't have to cover numbers. Transformation doesn't equal numbers, actually. It's just consistency that gives you that number. If you have transformation at the core of what you're doing, you really want to make an impact. It starts with one person. Adrija, Team MCN: Wonderful. That brings us to the end of today's call. Thank you so much for sharing, Margaret!

Innocent Nsengimana  is a Class of 2024 Millennium Fellow from the University of Rwanda Nyagatare. He also was named as Runner-Up in the 2025 MCN Stories competition. He joined Adrija Das of Team MCN to talk about his experience with the Millennium Fellowship. The interview has been edited for clarity and length by Team MCN. Adrija, Team MCN: So Innocent, thank you so much for joining me today and for taking the time to share your Millennium Fellowship story and the journey after the fellowship with your community and the wider Millennium Fellowship community. To begin, could you tell me a little bit about yourself?  Innocent: Thank you for having me. I'm a graduate in the Bachelor of Science in Agricultural Mechanization from the University of Rwanda. I'm passionate about using technology and sustainability to solve challenges in agriculture. I served as the campus director for the Millennium Fellowship program at the University of Rwanda. I won a run-up in the competition called MCN Stories. And also, I led my team in the Efficiency Product Design Challenge, where we were granted winners to continue our project. So those experiences have helped me to grow as a leader.  Adrija, Team MCN: Could you then tell us a little bit about the Millennium Fellowship project you were working on during the program? What challenges did you face, and what learnings from those days do you apply to today?  Innocent: I served as the campus director and was working on my own project with my team: SAS-Sprayer. SAS-Sprayer is an idea we got from the Efficiency for Access, to use renewable energy in agriculture. I also got experience from the fellowship to manage teams, to organize things, and think beyond the project and how we are solving the problem from the community needs to our own thinking.  Adrija, Team MCN: What made you apply to the fellowship program? How did you learn about this opportunity?  Innocent: This is the opportunity I got from the Millennium Fellowship community at our university.I was connected with other fellows who attended this program. I was inspired by the idea of being part of the global network of young leaders. Finally, I became selected as a fellow and I served as campus director on my campus. This was a life-changing experience, and I learned how to guide others, how to manage projects effectively, and how to create impact with limited resources. And the biggest learning I still carry today is leadership. It's about empowering others, leading together with others.  Adrija, Team MCN: Let's talk a little bit about the incredible work that you're doing right now. What has the journey been like after the fellowship program?  Innocent: Yes, currently, I'm leading a project called SAS-Sprayer. We are using the business name, which is called Agrilythos. Agrilythos is the name which joins two words: “Agriculture” and “Gritos.” Agriculture is the English name we really know. We didn't know, but gritos  is the Greek word that means “foundation.” Therefore, it's the “agricultural foundation.” So, this is the automated sprayer, which applies fertilizer and fertilizers automatically. So that small hydroponics farms can save time and reduce costs, they invest in the operation of applying fertilizers to improve their crop yield. My journey in social impact has been rewarding, but also full of learning and challenge. I have seen how technology can create new solutions for communities, but it also requires time, teamwork, patience, and listening to the needs of people. Adrija, Team MCN: Thank you so much for sharing that. What does future success look like for you? Where would you want to reach in the next five years? Innocent: Yes, in the next five years, I see myself planning a successful agri-tech startup like Agrilythos, which is under way of building, that provides affordable and sustainable farming technology to small-holder farmers. There are some solutions and ideas from the Millennium Fellowship - particularly leading with empathy and creating collective impact - that will guide me in building the organizations that are both inclusive and impactful. I also hope to keep learning from the fellowship community. Adrija, Team MCN: Thank you so much for sharing, Innocent. What would be the one thing you would want to share with the wider Millennium Fellowship community about the work that you're doing?   Innocent: Yes, my advice is to start where you are, do what you can, don't wait for perfect conditions. Use small actions, they will grow into something bigger. Be open to learning, because mistakes and challenges are part of the journey. And finally, be very humble, because no one achieves lasting impact alone. Collaboration is what makes a good idea. That's my advice. That is so incredibly powerful. Be open to learning, because mistakes and challenges are part of the journey...no one achieves lasting impact alone. Collaboration is what makes a good idea. Adrija, Team MCN: What would you want the wider Millennium Fellowship community and the young changemakers to take away about working in the sector of sustainable agriculture and ensuring food security? Innocent: Think more about the community you want to serve rather than thinking about yourself. When you are addressing the problem, the focus cannot be on the earnings in order to solve the problem. If you are solving the problem for people with empathy and passion, you also gain from that passion. So what I can give as a takeaway is to think more about community solutions than earnings. Adrija, Team MCN: Wonderful. Is there anything else you would like to share or talk about that we didn't get a chance to talk about yet?  Innocent: The fellowship was my chance to work with the community and to solve problems with my fellows. If you are interested in working for social impact in your community, try to work with mentors. And to the professionals in the MCN community, please support them. Adrija, Team MCN: Thank you. Great. Thank you so much for sharing so much about your story, your leadership journey, the work you're doing right now. I'm very sure our fellowship community, be it the current Millennium Fellows, the upcoming Millennium Fellows, our alums will be inspired and will be inspired to keep their social impact work alive.  Think more about the community you want to serve rather than thinking about yourself.

Kehinde Adebiyi , fondly known as Kenny, is a proud alumnus of the inaugural Global Millennium Fellowship class of 2018. As Campus Director for the Lagos State University (LASU) cohort, he founded SDGsACT , the first SDGs campus club in Nigeria. Under his leadership, the club’s projects impacted over 2,000 people, and Kenny later expanded its reach to campuses nationwide, inspiring thousands of student leaders to advance the global goals. Kehinde Adebiyi speaking at a Global Health and Human Rights Conference After the Fellowship, Kenny’s contributions to youth development earned him a spot as a YouthLead Ambassador, supported by USAID. He led transformative campaigns for positive youth engagement while balancing his passion for science. Graduating as one of LASU’s top scholars with a historic GPA, Kenny’s achievements became a catalyst for the Fellowship’s growing popularity in Africa. He later joined the MCN team, serving as Program Coordinator for the Class of 2020 , where he co-led a cohort that implemented over 700 projects impacting 800,000+ lives across 20 nations during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Kenny has been recognized with multiple awards, including being named one of the 100 Beating Corona Heroes in Africa   and receiving the Rise Challenge Award. Now a PhD scholar at Indiana University, he continues to distinguish himself in public health and biotechnology research. As a Stier Fellow , he exemplifies global leadership in academia, science, and social impact. Kenny is also the author of Nature Pays Diligence , a motivational book that inspires students to achieve academic excellence and make meaningful contributions to their communities. Inspired by Kenny’s story? Apply to the Class of 2025 Millennium Fellowship  and begin your transformative journey today!

During my first semester as a freshman, I stumbled upon the application for the Millennium Fellowship Class of 2022. At the time, I had no idea what the Fellowship entailed, but I decided to apply anyway. Unfortunately, my application hit a roadblock: I couldn’t proceed because I hadn’t yet earned a Cumulative Grade Point Average (CGPA). Disappointed, I let it go and moved on. Oladayo Jessica Olamide  Fast forward to 2024, I received another email about the Fellowship—this time directly to my personal inbox, as I’d subscribed to their updates. Now in my third year, with a CGPA in hand, I didn’t hesitate to reapply. I advanced past the first round and reached the second stage, which required a staff recommendation. While working on that, I noticed an opening for the Campus Director role. Confident in my leadership potential, I applied for that too. Months later, I was invited to a virtual interview for the Campus Director position. I’d nearly forgotten about it, but thankfully, my calendar reminder saved the day. The interview itself was chaotic: I felt unprepared, looked (in my own words) “homeless,” and winged my answers. I left it all in God’s hands. In August, while anxiously awaiting results, I checked my email after an exam and saw the news: I’d been admitted to the Millennium Fellowship! Overjoyed, I immediately shared the update—but there was no mention of the Campus Director role. I assumed my messy interview had cost me the position, even joking about it with friends. The Fellowship stretched my capabilities in ways I’d never imagined, becoming a transformative learning ground. Then, the next day, a bigger surprise arrived: an email confirming my role as Campus Co-Director for the Millennium Fellowship at Ladoke Akintola University of Technology . Cue me frantically deleting my initial celebratory post and replacing it with the real announcement. Gratitude doesn’t even begin to cover it. My Fellowship Experience Teaming up with my Campus Co-Director, we dove into planning mode. We mapped goals, gathered our cohort, and organized a launch session where we met the Fellows for the first time. The instant bond we formed reassured me this team would make the journey seamless. Our sessions were inspiring—filled with powerful stories and discussions. But challenges emerged: coordinating schedules, structuring projects, drafting proposals, facing rejections, and pushing until approvals finally came. Through it all, I grew. The Millennium Fellowship stretched my capabilities in ways I’d never imagined, becoming a transformative learning ground. The pinnacle? Successfully executing all our projects, graduating from the program, and being featured as a Millennium Spotlight on the Millennium Campus Network’s (MCN) Instagram page. That recognition was a heartfelt reminder of how far I’d come—and all I felt was gratitude. Advice to Future Fellows Just Apply : Don’t wait until you “fully understand” the Fellowship. Take the leap—you’ll learn as you go. Lead with Purpose : The Fellowship is about social impact. Bring a heart for service and a vision for change. Embrace Resilience : Rejections and challenges are part of the process. Keep pushing, learning, and adapting. Collaborate : The connections you make are invaluable. Engage deeply, share ideas, and build lasting relationships. Enjoy the Journey : Savor every moment—the sessions, teamwork, small wins, and even the hurdles. They all shape your story. The Millennium Fellowship changed my life. If you’re considering applying, do it. This journey might just be your stepping stone to something extraordinary Testimonial written by: Oladayo Jessica Olamide  Millennium Fellowship Class of 2024, Campus Director LAUTECH, Nigeria

From August to December 2024, Millennium Fellows across the globe drove transformative change in their communities through bold, locally rooted initiatives. Over the coming weeks, these Fellows will share their stories of impact, lessons learned, and the challenges they overcame during the Millennium Fellowship program. Fellows in Eldoret, Kenya share their work fostering S.T.E.M. Equity for Persons with Disabilities. "In 2024, Millennium Fellows at the University of Eldoret (UoE) in Kenya spearheaded a group project titled Differently Enabled , which focuses on mentoring learners with disabilities to pursue S.T.E.M. (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) courses and careers. By raising community awareness, the project aims to dismantle stigma and stereotypes surrounding persons with disabilities (PWDs). In many African countries and beyond, societal norms often restrict PWDs to predefined career paths, limiting their potential. The misconception that PWDs cannot excel in S.T.E.M. fields perpetuates inequality, marginalization, and mental health challenges. Aligned with SDGs 4 (Quality Education), 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), and 10 (Reduced Inequalities), the University of Eldoret cohort designed this project with the following objectives: Bridging the gap between disabled and abled individuals. Empowering PWDs to explore sustainable livelihood opportunities. Organizing workshops to sensitize communities and foster safer environments for PWDs. Creating inclusive spaces where PWDs feel valued in societal growth and development. To implement this initiative, the cohort visited the Eldoret School for the Hearing-Impaired, a public special education institution in Eldoret East, Kenya. Managed by local government authorities, the school offers the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) under the Ministry of Education. This project holds significant potential to promote inclusive education and sustainable livelihoods for People living with Disabilities. During their visit, the fellows met Tr. Joel, an enthusiastic math teacher and mentor who is deaf himself. A 2022 mathematics graduate from Kenyatta University in Nairobi, Tr. Joel exemplified the potential of PWDs in S.T.E.M. fields. Eldoret University Millennium Fellows with Tr. Joel The project’s second phase took place in October 2024, with the cohort mentoring Junior Secondary students through interactive sessions and co-curricular activities. The mentorship emphasized S.T.E.M. disciplines, with each fellow highlighting their motivations, the importance of S.T.E.M., career inspirations, and how students can defy limitations by pursuing these fields. During the sessions, the cohort learned sign language, gained insights into the students’ aspirations, and identified challenges faced by the deaf community. This knowledge will inform future follow-up programs to maximize impact. Key takeaways included: Teamwork and shared values : Collaboration between fellows, the university, and the school. Learning before serving : Engaging directly with PWDs to understand their needs rather than making assumptions. Contextualizing morality : Balancing societal norms with ethical action. Empowering youth : Providing tools and resources for PWDs to chart their own paths. Shared responsibilities : Leveraging individual strengths and leadership styles within the team. This project holds significant potential to promote inclusive education and sustainable livelihoods for PWDs. The University of Eldoret Millennium Fellowship cohort remains committed to expanding its impact through ongoing partnerships and mentorship beyond the Fellowship period."

Aya - it’s such an honor to meet you. Please tell us a bit about yourself “ My name is Aya Yousef, a 4th year architecture student at the American University of Beirut . I am passionate about Social Change and Social Activism. This year, I was named a Top 50 finalist for the 2021 Global student prize . I am Palestinian, but I grew up at the Burj el Barajne camp in Lebanon. I’m currently embarking on a Self - finding, Self-independence journey - trying to make sense of the world around me, take risks, and take care of myself - whether that’s emotionally, mentally or financially. ” Thank you for sharing that with us. Could you tell us a little bit about your time and experience as a Millennium Fellow? “ I was a Class of 2019 Millennium Fellow at AUB. I’ve always credited this experience as one of my first genuine opportunities to connect and network with International peers who were passionate about the same things I was. At the time, our university was the only campus selected in Lebanon - so there was that added pride. My whole cohort was very motivated, all of them eager to give back as much as they could within the short time that they’d been given. In hindsight, I would say the most important part of the Fellowship was this opportunity to connect, network and interact with thousands of other young people across the world . Sometimes networking is not even connecting 1:1 - it’s in hearing their perspectives in a breakout room, reading about their project ideas, and being motivated by that shared, familiar, hunger for change. You start to think more expansively about local challenges, and in a sense you learn a bit about yourself from this shared space. After graduation I started to build upon these personal skills and, I think, made myself an even more holistic person. So there certainly was a shift during and after the Fellowship - whether that’s psychologically or purely in terms of self improvement and up-skilling." That’s wonderful to hear. Can you tell us a bit about the SDG you focused on and your Millennium Fellowship Project? “Certainly, I led a project called “ Pales-Tech ” with another Millennium Fellow - Hany anan - who was also Palestinian. We both understood the pains and the hardships our people were going through, and how unfairly lack of resources and little exposure to opportunities was condemning young Palesitininians to lives of averageness. We both had found a way to escape this cycle but many others couldn't. We had to give back to our community. And so by focusing on the underprivileged youth and children in the camps, we provided technical training in the use of tech tools, such as wordpress. The point for us was to make young Palestinians realize that we can use technology to solve many problems in our lives and our societies. We hosted a series of workshops in different palesitnian camps in lebanon, and the final presentations were done at the American University of Beirut.” How did your experiences growing up shape you to want a life in Social Impact? It’s sad that society demands exceptionalism from us so we can live decent, average lives. “I was born in Burj-El-Barajneh, a refugee camp for Palestinians in Lebanon. Throughout my whole journey growing up, constantly shifting from one school to the other, I got to experience first hand what it was like to truly lack. Truly undignifying. In high school it dawned on me how fundamentally unequal this societal setup was. Though I excelled in my studies, for a long time I could not find any opportunities to further my education. This makes you wonder - what is wrong with us? And how can we work to bridge the gap? Though I’d eventually end up receiving 3 scholarships at some of the best universities in Lebanon - these observations stuck with me. In the end, I did get scholarships, but I’d also put in great personal effort. In a sense, I was the subject of a lucky break that many other kids around me simply couldn’t dream about getting. I t’s sad that society demands exceptionalism from us so we can live decent, average lives. Many children and young people don’t know that opportunities even exist, and even those that do are conditioned to believe opportunity belongs to others. Because I ended up experiencing this big, beautiful world, I always wanted to show the kids that a big beautiful world does exist, and it is within their reaches. I joined the outreach team for my school scholarship, and I also partnered with 2 other change makers to co-found “ ToRead ”, an online education program linking High School students with educational institutions and providing information about potential scholarships. I will never stop looking for better - for my people, and for all oppressed people around the world. That is humbling to hear. Are there any other projects you’ve been working on recently? ‘My family and friends have always known me as a multitasker. Since I graduated from the fellowship I've involved myself in many different projects. After the Beirut blast, we volunteered with social groups to help plan the recovery by surveying, analyzing and studying some buildings damaged by the explosion, and creating a series of architectural drawings that, hopefully, benefitted renovation efforts. One of the buildings we worked on has now been fully reconstructed. We also worked with a local NGO, D4C ( Design For Communities ) focusing on food insecurity by working on a rooftop gardening architectural design that would maximize planting and production, whether on rooftops, balconies, or even open spaces. I also worked on an augmented reality course with a young enterprise called Shabab Lab, where we prepared courses for high school students, teaching the basics of Augmented reality and how it can be used for social innovation. Incredible! Can you tell us a little bit about your nomination ins this year’s Global Student prize? “Totally incredible! I’m still speechless. When we do the work we do, it is mostly because we genuinely care about our communities - so we sacrifice time and energy to try make things better, without the expectation of an accolade, or even an affirmation. But sometimes that spotlight is important, if not for anything else, just as a reminder that what you’ve been doing matters, that it’s touching real lives and impacting real people. For me, the nomination was incredibly humbling. At that moment I felt that every minute we’d spent doing work for the benefit of others had been worth it. I think more importantly,I’m also happy that young people can look at us and think, it can be done. Lastly, any advice to young Leaders around the world? “I would say get involved! It’s easy and convenient to sit in silence and avoid responsibility. But we can’t afford to do that. Stand up and be counted. Interact with people. Let yourself become a true member of your community. And remember you can always play a part, no matter how small. Connect with Aya on LinkedIn and Instagram Share your Impact stories with us here: fellowship@mcnpartners.org

Haya Al-Kubati , an undergraduate medical student at the 21 September University of Medical and Applied Sciences in Sana’a-Yemen, is a passionate advocate for the SDGs. She is especially interested in good health and well-being, mental health awareness, and disease prevention. Haya gained an interest in volunteering and social activism as a young girl and has been involved in the work for 9 years. She has launched several social impact projects targeting young people in Yemen, including raising awareness on climate change to ongoing school children, and implementing Cancer awareness campaigns in her community. As Class of 2023 Millennium Fellows, Haya and her team conducted breast cancer self-examination exercises for more than 300 high school girls. She also volunteered with youth from 24+ countries as a member of the organizing committee of the International Volunteering Youth Forum . Haya is a Catalyst 2030 Yemen chapter member, a Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange program YES alumna, and a former youth member of the Yemeni Youth Volunteering Committee with the Yemeni Association of Reproductive Health where she has helped conduct more than 6 social action campaigns targeting youths, women and children. She is also a Yemen country ambassador with Awareness 360  (a global youth-led organization advancing sustainable development through youth empowerment ) and 2021 fellow of the year with Awareness 360. Haya is a Recipient of the title Arab Voice Ambassador 2022  by the Arab Youth Center in Abu Dhabi with her podcast Youth and Sustainability which introduces the SDGs to Yemeni youth and addresses youth challenges. Recently a 2023 Diana Award recipient. Following her Millennium Fellowship work, she was named a MENA regional focal point with the Sendai Stakeholder Children and Youth (DDR working group ). She spoke with Team MCN to share her Millennium Fellowship journey. Thank you for speaking with us Haya. Please introduce yourself and share what inspired you to begin social impact work? "Thank you for having me. My name is Haya. I started my Social Impact journey during my exchange year in the United States through the YES program when I was just 15 years old. I have since spent time volunteering on multiple grassroots initiatives, associations, and medical awareness teams. I have also launched my own social impact projects, including most recently as part of the Millennium Fellowship, and in the past through global youth-led organizations like Awareness 360. I have always felt as a young person growing up in Yemen, it is my responsibility to try my best to make my country a better place." "The lessons on setting core values for our projects and ensuring we centre these values in our work are things I will carry with me even as I graduate from the Fellowship."   Thank you for sharing. You were selected to the Millennium Fellowship in 2023 having shown incredible leadership potential. What has the experience meant for you? "It is difficult to explain. The Millennium Fellowship was an enriching journey for me. Last year I came across the Fellowship and immediately wanted to be part of it. I knew we needed to apply as a cohort to stand a chance, so I spent time going around the school, inviting and encouraging my schoolmates to apply. Eventually enough of us ended up submitting applications, and upon selection I was named Campus Director. Holding this role made me feel empowered, trusted, and inspired. I was able to coordinate training sessions, support Fellows on their projects, and generally create an environment where everyone felt like they were part of a small family . I value what this fellowship has offered me. I say to all students at my school looking to apply that the training will only be a semester-long, but the lessons learnt will last me a lifetime." Amazing. Please take a moment to Introduce your Millennium Fellowship project. What problem does your project try to solve? "Of course! My project " But first! Mental health " aims to shed light on the importance of mental health among medical students. We are focusing particularly on helping med students cope during the transition period from their academic training into clinical rotations. This is usually an exciting but tough time because it is very demanding and you get to see things that can be very traumatizing. Most healthcare practitioners are prone to mental health issues due to the demanding nature of this speciality. It is a noble profession, but it can sometimes carry much negative weight. I hope to help destigmatize seeking psychological support, and create spaces where we can normalize talking about the troubles we all collectively face. Our well-being has to come first before we can take care of others, hence my project name - 'But First! Mental health"  "I hope to help destigmatize seeking psychological support, and create spaces where we can normalize talking about the troubles we all collectively face." That's wonderful. All the best as you continue this mission. How did the Millennium Fellowship contribute to your achievements?  The Millennium Fellowship program has helped me learn about my leadership ability. Being in charge of an incredible cohort was a big honour and responsibility. It has also helped me understand the basics of social impact leadership . I appreciate that the curriculum focuses on teaching you how to build up your grassroots initiative, taking a social impact project from ideation to execution. The lessons on setting core values for our projects and ensuring we centre these values in our work are things I will carry with me even as I graduate from the Fellowship.   Connect with Haya on LinkedIn . Millennium Fellows and alumni, would you like to share your story with the community? Get in touch: ( alumni@mcnpartners.org )