Meet the 2023 kanthari course participants
Abel Mvendaga (39)
Nigeria
Advocate for the Rights of people with Albinism
Born with Albinism in Nigeria, I faced discrimination, stigmatization and poverty. Sometimes I walk the scourging sun just to get Education even barefooted.
Fist for fist was my answer for bullying classmates.
But when I left the village to Jos, during my university education, I decided to become a volunteer with an NGO and in 2020 I founded Center For Albinism Right and Empowernment Network (CAREN) to advocate and promote albinism rights.
Anand (27)
India
Theatre as a tool to empower children from the slum
My love for theatre led me back to the slums of Delhi where my family lived in a tiny 8×10 feet sized room and all members regardless of age contributed to our survival.
I juggled jobs as a scavenger, security guard, data entry operator, Uber rider, and hotel worker. Knowing first-hand the struggles of slum children, I use theatre to help them identify their goals beyond the slum and pursue them.
Anubha Singhal (27)
India
Fostering accessibility and inclusion for people with disabilities.
I am a fun-loving girl who loves to travel. I lived a comfortable life, until 17, when I was diagnosed with a rare condition, limb-girdle muscular dystrophy causing muscle weakness. Despite the challenges, I embraced it and it changed my outlook and perspectives. My career as an architect also shifted, as now I bring the power of design to change the lives of many people with disabilities, promoting accessibility and inclusion.
Bone Sit Paing Hmoo (24)
Myanmar
Empowering the blind in Myanmar
At the age of 13, I became blind. Fortunately, I could continue my education in a special school. After school, I experienced the frustration of having no job perspectives besides massage. Many blind youth feel like me. Therefore, I want to provide training to empower the blind with basic abilities to make the right choices and to be fit to integrate into any new work environment.
Bosede Nwachi (49)
Nigeria
Empowering Woman
I faced rejection and negligence from my father all through my life. My husband left me and our daughter three months after I gave birth to twins. I had no choice but to struggle with multiple businesses to provide for them. Overcoming discrimination and stigmatization, I thrived and became a leader in business organizations. My experiences inspired me to start Akinkanju, empowering single mothers, widows, and vulnerable women.
Emmanuel Fuhbang (45)
Cameroon
Building Peace in Cameroon
As a teenager, I almost lost my life due to an act of violence. This incident made me dislike violent conflicts. At university, I studied the philosophies of peace activists and developed a passion for peacebuilding.
There has been ongoing armed conflict in Cameroon since 2016. Politicians and warlords are inciting and instrumentalizing youths into acts of violence. Therefore, I am engaging idle youth in peacebuilding activities.
Ifeoluwa (27)
Nigeria
Advocacy for children with Albinism
Born with albinism in Nigeria, I faced rejection and isolation. My mother’s unwavering love protected me from societal prejudices. But after her passing, living with relatives worsened the isolation and discrimination.
Meeting and interacting with other persons with Albinism make me to know that they are also facing all the challenges I faced in my childhood. This motivated me to create an avenue where children with Albinism can be educated about themselves from an early age, and their parents and youth should be empowered to achieve financial independence.
Itohan Ogiemudia (38)
Nigeria
Water is here!
Growing up, my experience with water scarcity had a negative impact on my education and health. However, while working with an NGO I got an opportunity to learn more about the struggles of rural communities and farmers who are affected by lack of access to water. This became a major concern for me as I was shocked to know that the water problem still exists and that moved me to start “Omitide” (Water is here).
Johny Sulistio (66)
Indonesia
Advocacy for leprosy patients
After my retirement as a doctor, I decided to work with cows to regain some purpose in life, during which I encountered a leprosy patient with late deformity. Because of stigma, they are diagnosed and treated late. This and their ostracization pains me. To address this, I want to provide a homely joyful environment where health professionals, community members including people living with leprosy care for and empower each other.
Joshua Olkunie (35)
Nigeria
Early Childhood intervention for the blind
A fatal bus accident had caused my eyes to be temporarily blind for two months. This gave me a glimpse into what it feels like to be visually impaired. The experience formed my passion for special education. The training I had and the experiences I gained in the years of working with the blind and deaf, resulted into the dream and passion to empower visually and hearing-impaired children and youth.
Karan Singh (37)
Nepal
Community development in the mountains
Oda village’s remote location poses challenges in accessing healthcare and quality education. The death of my father due to lack of medical care forced me to quit school and work at the age of 14. In 2013, we turned my mom’s cowshed into a clinic, and later, with villagers’ and government support we built a hospital and eventually a school. Our aim is to improve rural lives in Kalikot.
Keerthi Selvaraj (30)
India
Environment protection
Growing up in a conventional religious family restricted my opportunities to explore. Despite my limits, I began photographing birds because their beauty captivated me. While recording them on an international data platform, I learned about their role in maintaining biodiversity. This inspired me to explore wetlands and forests where I saw bird habitats under threat. So, I engaged in educating students about the importance of birds and environmental care.
Krishna Hari Dulal (27)
Nepal
Rural Development using agriculture
Surviving in the streets by begging for four months taught me lessons no book could. I have learned my life the hard way. Through adversity, I learned kindness and In my desperation, hope Came through ROKPA’s help organization which supports orphans and street children, transforming my life. Now, I love to live simple rural life and am determined to serve humble rural communities that contribute to our sustenance.
Malak Alamar (23)
Jordan
Transforming refugee camps to liveable anvironment
I grew up in refugee schools and witnessed how refugees have suffered from hate speech and poor living -conditions. Coming from a family with Palestinian roots, I faced the same problem of discrimination before. By identifying the impacts of climate change and the hostile relationship it would create among the people as a major threat to them, I decided to bring young refugees and Jordanians together to find solutions for climate resilience and peaceful coexistence.
Mary Mutua (37)
Kenya
College for hospitality for Slum Youth
I survived the slums, being ill-treated as a housemaid, and I managed to work in the partly inhuman hospitality industry.
There, I noticed the gaps between hospitality training and the reality where marginalized youth are looked down upon. My dream is to train youth from the slums, using hospitality management as a tool to enable them to explore their potential, to either integrate into or revolutionize the industry.
In our view, perfect hospitality graduates, are not those who attain and retain topmost jobs in the industry but those who become courageous enough to stand for what they believe.
Mutongi Kawara (29)
Zimbabwe
Orphanage for HIV affected orphans
I was born HIV positive and orphaned because of HIV/AIDS. I was sexually harassed and constantly reminded through discriminatory comments/actions that I was promised a future of death and zero prospects. This destroyed my will to live. Working with rural orphans who had positive outlooks on life regardless of their HIV status or hardships sparked my purpose in life to provide safe and enabling environments for their positive development.
Myat Tun (26)
Myanmar
Rural Communit development through permaculture
I grew up in a small village surrounded by a salty creek full of mangroves, no internet no electricity, but the simplicity of rural life.
In 2013, a child once without any dream became a nature enthusiast at NEED Myanmar. With the experiences and knowledge in nature conservation, I return to my home state, Rakhine for empowering rural youths in sustainable agriculture, permaculture, and nature conservation through Permaculture Institute Myanmar.
Nelson Kamoyo (36)
Malawi
Fighting malnutrition in Malawi
Growing up in rural Malawi, going to school hungry and having one-meal per day was the norm. As the last-born in a large family, I often skipped school to support my family. Witnessing my siblings thrive after completing their education inspired me to work hard and break the chains of poverty. Now, I am dedicated to empowering children with food-literacy and sustainable farming knowledge to alleviate malnutrition and child poverty.
Sara Tandel (27)
India
Empowering children to speak up against child abuse
As a childhood sexual abuse survivor, I know child safety starts at home. I was taught to unquestionably obey elders, even if it meant silencing my voice. Adults unknowingly foster submission in kids, making them vulnerable. My family’s loving yet controlling approach silenced me, leading to abuse and distress. I intended to change this attitudes by empowering caregivers to encourage assertiveness in children.
Sherleen Tunai (25)
Kenya
Empowering persons with Albinism using fashion
Having albinism, I have struggled to fit in. I was never happy with the colour of my skin because it was the source of most of my problems. In fact, it took me years to accept that I have albinism. I channeled my creativity into fashion and was resilient, despite receiving a lot of resistance from the fashion world. Why struggle to fit in, yet I can stand out, and stand strong? Different is beautiful. So, I started experimenting with different ideas and designs. I believe albinism is just it. A lack of melanin. We can do anything we set our minds on.
Vasundhara Koppula (34)
India
Entrepreneurship HUB for people with disabilities
At two, I was diagnosed with polio. Overcoming many challenges, I completed my education and secured a job. Despite proving myself, I faced discrimination and pity from my employers. In 2014, I founded a company and organized events to support disabled people. To empower the disabled, I aim to create an incubation center promoting entrepreneurship and inclusiveness for people with disabilities in the business sector.
Wilfred Gewon (32)
Liberia
Computer skills for the blind
Becoming blind at the age of ten, wasn’t easy. I felt and wanted to end my life. But due to the love of my parents and a good education in a special school, I learned how to use challenges as a stepping stone for higher goals.
In 2014, I started a school to empower the blind in basic computer skills which will now become a centre for computer sciences.