We are always inspired by stories of young people doing remarkable work in their countries to facilitate development in the lives of people in their communities and throughout the continent.
This year’s list identifies young Africans, mostly below 30 years of age, who are prominent in their areas of activism or fields of expertise and are coming up with innovative ways to address some of the challenges faced by the continent
Esther Mbabazi was eight years old when her father was killed in a crash as the plane he was flying in overshot the runway landing in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
So when, a few years later she announced her intention to train as a pilot, the plan was not well received by some of her family. But at the age of 24, Mbabazi has made history as the first female Rwandan pilot.
She is a skilled first female pilot in Rwandan history that realized her dreams of becoming a professional pilot despite the fact that her father dead because of the accident he got in the plane. He was also a pilot before 1994.
She told her family that she wanted to study plane driving courses but her family opposed her fearing that the same fate might befall her yet. She persisted however .Esther says:
“Becoming a pilot was my best wish since my early childhood. It started when my family I and traveled in the plane and plane attendants gave me toys .This surprised me a lot and left an inner motivation of knowing much about planes”.
She is multilingual. Her schooling in Uganda (Soroti Flight School) and in USA (Florida) equipped with skills needed for a professional airplane pilot. She is piloting a plane of RWANDAIR (CRJ-900) that flies across many African countries. According to Umuseke.com, where we got this story, her mother is the one who supported her to change her dreams into reality. “My mother did not resist to my aspirations instead she wanted me to be who I wanted to be” she explains.
This is a list of youth listed for their outstanding innovational projects:
- Grace Ihejiamaizu – Nigeria
- Evans Muchika -Kenya
- Bewa Joannie- Benin
- Joel Mwale- Uganda
- NoViolet Bulawayo- Zimbabwe
- William Kamkwamba- Malawi
- Toyosi Akerele- Nigeria
- Thulani Madondo- South Africa
- Fanele Chester- Swaziland
- Dayo Israel – Nigeria
- Ory Okolloh-Kenya
- Gilmore T. Moyo-Zimbabwe
- Deborah Ahenkorah- Ghana
- Abana bane bo muri Nigeriya aribo Duro-Aina Adebola, Akindele Abiola, Faleke Oluwatoyin, na Bello Eniolabaza
- Ashish thakkar-Rwanda
- Hadeel Ibrahim- Sudan
- Boniface Mwangi- Kenya
- Michael Mulunga- Namibia
- Eddy Gicheru Oketch- Kenya
- Sandra Appiah-Ghana
- Richard Turere- Kenya
- Foglabenchi Lily Haritu- Cameroon
- Brian Bwesigye- Uganda
- Simon Ssenkaayi- Uganda
- Erasmus Mweene- Zambia
- Fungai Machirori- Zimbabwe
This list has been set basing on the achievements of young people who came up with original business ideas and who converted them into practical and sustainable businesses for both their motherlands and Africa at large.
Source: Africa Youth Village
UM– USEKE
