Since 2014, Yunus & Youth has trained more than 4,500 people from over 65 countries, building a mission-driven community with amplified resources that drive social change. Yunus & Youth believes in combining the next generation’s passion to change the world with the knowledge and experience of traditional corporations to promote sustainable global development and economic growth.
Our work is inspired by Professor Muhammad Yunus, 2006 Nobel Peace Price Laureate, who is internationally recognized for his work in poverty alleviation and the empowerment of the poor. In his words, developing a social business starts with “the idealism and hope that are deeply ingrained in all human beings”.
The Y&Y Fellowship Program is designed to support early-stage social business leaders in the development of financially sustainable solutions. It takes place every year through a 6-months mentoring relationship between selected fellows and corporate mentors, an online learning platform, and an online business pitch competition.
This year, we had the toughest selection process ever! After reviewing over 1,000 applications, conducting a hundred online interviews, we’re ready to introduce you to our new 2020 Y&Y Fellows!
We’ve welcomed 32 fellows to our new cohort. They come from 22 different countries, 60% are female, and they’re working on various impact areas, including poverty alleviation, education, health, human rights, clean energy, and many others!
To learn more about their work, click on their names below, and stay tuned to our blog and social media channels!
Guimedic provides medical services to people who live in remote places in Mexico trough a big group of volunteers from different parts of the world.
The Amazing Woman is a social enterprise founded on the principles of equipping women especially stay at home mothers with digital and social tools to drive their business sales online while still dedicating time for their families.
HR Business Solutions is a social enterprise that provides support to professionals and young people in the field of Human Resources. It offers coaching and preparation of Curriculum Vitae. Through its services, it guides young people in their career choice and trains them in different fields.
Fundi App is an on-demand mobile application that connects customers with vetted handymen/women who provide different types of installation, repair, and maintenance services for people living in urban/peri-urban areas in Tanzania.
Fundación Soy Oportunidad empowers young mothers who live in vulnerability and poverty, through entrepreneurship and life projection programs that allow them to generate new economic and social opportunities for themselves and their families.
The Science, Technology, Engineering, Math, and Innovation Makers of Africa unites, inspires, and provides young Africans with emerging tools, 21st-century skills to excel in STEM lucrative fields and match world-standard pathways.
ActivateHer is a sports development initiative for girls, which leverages sports as a catalyst to empower girls and young women, identifying the power of sport and play to further physical and mental development.
Yesisa is a lifestyle brand that empowers you to connect deeper with what you buy. We advocate for the interconnectedness of humanity by promoting the art form, traditions, the people, and the stories behind our unique clothes, accessories, and housewares.
AISME is focused on developing programs aimed at fostering human connection and providing mental health managing tools in the educational and health care system. It does this by using innovative facilitation methodologies and sensitive pedagogies when working with education; and by taking always science-based and rigorous sources when designing creative visual material for the mental health sector.
RenewDrive is a technology startup deploying low-cost cold chain solutions using IoT and renewable energy.
Libertate is a social enterprise that works for the economic inclusion of people with disabilities. It promotes cultural change in companies and governments by implementing strategies that promote inclusion from the business, reinvesting profits from our services in programs for people with disabilities.
Play Collaborate Change uses design thinking and behavioral science to generate and promote social innovation that can help address economic, social, and environmental challenges.
Life Academy is a social enterprise seeking to reduce youth suicide among ages 12 -18 through leadership workshops into the school curriculum.
AfroSaúde is a platform that connects patients to black health professionals to promote health and combat racism and social inequality in the labor market.
The Refugee Integration Organisation (RIO) aims to design economic solutions for the integration of refugees in Ghana. Its program, named Community Lending, was inspired by the Grameen Bank model, as it gives refugees a small loan for them to set up their own entrepreneurial venture at the camp. It also provides them with the training they need for their business to reap as much profit as possible.
Digital Bonds is a tech and social startup that works on the design, development, and implementation of technology for social good based on the SDGs.
Pad2Go is a social venture focusing on menstrual health management in Nepal. It follows a three-fold approach to make a holistic impact, i.e, provision of sanitary products through our sanitary napkin vending machines, awareness, and advocacy programs regarding the social taboos behind menstruation and provision of sanitary facilities in rural communities using some percentage of our profit.
Youth Social Advocacy Team is a refugee-led, not-for-profit community, that uses social innovation, co-creation, hands-on skills, and Enterprize4Peace to transform lives and improve household livelihoods in humanitarian settings among South Sudanese refugees in Uganda, to make solutions by the refugees for refugees.
Kekalove is focused on designing and producing clothing for anyone who struggles with their daily wear. It asks questions like, “how does someone in a wheelchair put on a pair of pants?” or “how does someone with scoliosis wear shirts?” and it finds answers that suit their specific needs. It replaces buttons with magnets, adds zippers, and change the structure of the clothing without destroying the design.
re/GENERATE is an international sustainable fashion agency, that strives to integrate sustainable practices in the global fashion and textile industry. Employing the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals as guiding principles, it helps brands integrate sustainability within their core; from design, production to end of life.
SHiFT is a social innovation hub leading the transformation of post-conflict and/or marginalized zones towards peaceful and prosperous communities. It brings people together and bridges differences through building capacities, raising awareness, creating opportunities, promoting success models, and mentoring.
Smart Shamba provides training on climate-smart agriculture and clean energy to smallholder farmers living in arid and semi-arid areas in Kenya. It also sells on credit solar lights and efficient cookstoves to women and youth in self-help groups.
Educall stands for Education for All. It is an educational social enterprise whose vision is to ensure the development of Moroccan children regardless of their social class by simplifying the learning process and making it fun and interactive. Educall adopts a systemic approach to involve different members of the educational ecosystem (children, parents, teachers, educators, and educational institutions).
WVN Home Textiles is a women-owned enterprise that works with women in weaving communities around the Philippines to co-create home and beach accessories using handloom weaving methods.
re.code is a coding school for low-income communities, we offer free coding bootcamps to upskill marginalized youths and offer them economic opportunities. Top graduates join our web development team as interns and gain real, on-the-job training while building their portfolio. Income from development projects is re-invested into the school and growth plans.
RJDLT is a unique Youth Organization that aims to provide young Chadians with a framework and opportunities for development that will enable them to create positive change, in several strategic areas, within their communities through the culture of leadership and Promoting entrepreneurship in young communities at their disposal a collaborative workspace and accessible special programs.
Standout Care is a primary healthcare organization that provides basic health services such as mobile clinic sessions, a free public medical screening to destitute persons including prison inmates, deprived communities, and organized groups. The aim to promote wellness, increase access to health in Ghana and to contribute to the W.H.O goal of a universal health coverage
Equip Mozambique is a sewing school that aims to empower disadvantaged women, especially widows and single mothers, to have practical skills to support themselves and their families. The school is free for the ladies to attend, and when we sell the products that they make a percentage of the profits go toward each student’s account so they can buy a sewing machine upon graduation.
Mega Gas Alternative Energy converts plastic waste into clean cooking gas for poor families in Kenya.
Are you building a business to create a better world?
Applications for the next Y&Y Fellowship Program start in January 2021. Subscribe to our mailing list to receive a reminder.
