Rule Breakers
Be restless, unreasonable, and ambitious.
Its this work which caught the attention of Benjamin Braun, the Chief Marketing Officer (Europe) ofSamsung.
Thus SamsungsGeneration17 Young Leadersprogramme was born.
That is the social DNA that drives me.
This made me curious about what people with no higher education were experiencing.
This pushed me to find a solution that leveraged technology to provide stable jobs for Africas youth.
What do you consider the worlds most pressing challenges?
Kristian:Youth unemployment.
Today, there are 1.2 billion young people ages 15 to 24 years old.
Tafara: Access to decent and sustainable employment for all.
Africa is the last economic frontier.
The median age is 25 and by 2050, 25% of the global population will be African.
What are your long term goals for your initiative?
Kristian:I hope UNLEASH will grow into the worlds most impactful platform for social and environmental youth-led solutions.
On a micro-scale, its all about supporting our alumni.
Nadine:We aim at having more sustainable ways to accept donations from people around the world.
I also would like to have more partners and young volunteers join Kafe be Kafak.
These people dont only have to be from Lebanon, but from around the world.
I also dream about having a big community of supporters and volunteers from the Lebanese diaspora.
Who are some of the global change-makers from throughout history who have inspired you?
Kristian:In 2019, I met Muhammad Yunus.
I truly admire him for his work to alleviate global poverty by providing micro-credit to the poor.
He was one of the truly great architects of Denmarks modern welfare state.
Nadine:Malala, of course.
Her story is so inspiring and what she is doing to fight for girls education in Pakistan is amazing.
Tafara:I admire the Danish astronomer and innovator, Tycho Brahe.
He questioned existing scientific thought.
How has technology elevated your work?
From there, we created our website and expanded to LinkedIn and Twitter.
What is your advice for fellow young leaders?
Kristian:Be restless, unreasonable, and ambitious, and seek out help from peers and mentors.
One of the biggest challenges for young leaders is a lack of confidence.
Seeking out mentors who can support you and validate your ideas is key.
Nadine:Never be afraid of taking the first step towards real change.
The world needs youth like us to help achieve a better, more equitable, and sustainable future.
Tafara: Be fearless.
Say what you think and do what you say.
This article was originally published onJuly 30, 2022
