Youth Taking Action: Serving Iraqi refugees

by James Bach

category: Young Leaders

Published July 22, 2009 @ 09:02AM PT

Ashoka's Youth Venturer Sky Choi is one busy 12-year-old. Apart from starting The List Kids to serve young Iraqi refugees in the U.S. he is also starting his university studies in physics, speaks multiple languages, has a third degree black belt in taekwondo, and says that he hopes to always make a difference in the world!

He started The List Kids in 2007 to help serve a forgotten population - the Iraqis who assisted the U.S. Military and had to flee Iraq for their personal safety. Sky has raised awareness of the challenges that these families have faced and provided their children with monthly care packages.

We spoke with Sky about his work with The List Kids, the importance of raising awareness and creating understanding between different communities, and how kids can welcome other children in need to their new country.

Why did you start List Kids? Why is it needed?

I founded The List Kids in order to reach out to the Iraqi refugee children who are resettled in the US in connection with The List Project. Their parents risked their lives working as advisors, interpreters, clerks, and construction workers, alongside American soldiers.  Many US-affiliated Iraqis have been kidnapped, beaten and killed; many others were forced to flee to neighboring countries. A small number make it through the long and difficult screening process and are able to resettle here in the US.  It is very difficult for the Iraqi refugee families when they arrive here as they have to not only adjust to a new culture, but find homes and jobs as well. While there are various agencies that provide limited support in terms of food and housing, no one was addressing the needs of the children.  That is why I founded the List Kids.  For their first year in the US, the List Kids sends a special care package every month to each child in order to let them know that they are welcome and safe here. The care packages contain cards, letters, school supplies, toys, books, gaming systems and other items that are donated from companies and volunteers across the US. Our goal is to help make their transition to life in the US a little easier.

You serve a lot of kids, where do you get all the donations and support to put together the care packages?

In April 2008, I shipped the first set of care packages ---there were 14 Iraqi refugee children on our list in April 2008.  To date, we have shipped over 700 care packages, and we currently send over 110 care packages to children each month.  People from all over the country have donated items to be included in the care packages. One way is through The List Kids' "wish lists" on both Amazon.com and Target.com where people can shop online for items to donate to The List Kids.  The List Kids also has a chapter with over 130 members on Netroots, social networking site. Some of the members make cards to include in the care packages and help raise funds to cover the postage costs, which is our biggest expense and can run up to $1000 a month.  The List Kids also has several corporate sponsors.  Penguin Books donated 1000 pounds of books.  Teschkeel Media donated 250 annual subscriptions to the comic book series, "The 99."  Independent Means has provided and amazing summer camp for two Iraqi refugee children for the past two summers.  And most recently, Talking Fingers has offered subscriptions to its amazing online program called "Read, Write & Type," a program helps kids learn to read and write in English.  I run the day-to-day operations of The List Kids, but I could not get the care packages out each month without the help of my two cousins, Christian and Cayla Reis.

I imagine it is hard to for most people to understand the reality of what life is like for Iraqi refugee children. How have US kids responded to your project?

I think the average American knows very little about the Iraqi refugee crisis in general and even less about the dangers faced by those who risked their lives and the lives of their families helping our soldiers in Iraq.  It is very difficult to get people interested in this cause.  I think there are two main reasons for this.  First, because of the bad economic situation in our own country, many people have taken the approach of looking out only for themselves.  Charities across the nation have suffered a severe decline in support since the end of last year.  While it is understandable that people are concerned about their own financial situations, I don't feel it is right to simply turn our backs on these families that are in danger because they helped the US.

The second problem is ignorance.  I think people fear what they do not understand or know.  Until this past year, I had never met someone from Iraq before.  I think that is likely the same for many Americans.  After 9-11, our lives changed and many Americans now look through at people, especially those from Middle Eastern countries, through a lens of fear associated with terrorism.  I bet that if people were able to meet these families they would see that they have far more in common than not.  They are moms and dads, brothers and sisters, and grandparents.  They worry about employment.  They worry about school and making friends.  They worry about life in their new country --- a country they willingly served and risked their lives for.

I have faith though that people will understand that we are dealing with children, who did not choose to live through a war and did not choose to live as refugees.  Last week, my cousin donated his Playstation to The List Kids instead of selling it.  His five-year-old sister, clearly not wishing the Playstation was leaving her home, asked me why we help the Iraqi kids.  I explained to her how these children have lived through a war and have ended up here with very little.  They often have no books or toys when they arrive.  Sometimes they don't even have a bed!  She looked at me and said, "Oh, I understand.  This is the right thing to do."  If a five year old can understand that this is the "right thing to do," I am optimistic that others will understand as well.

What has been the outcome of your work between the refugee community and the US students? In what ways do you hope that your project will have long-term impact on the participants?

Spreading the word about the plight of the US-affiliated Iraqis is so important.  Most people know very little about what the List Project families have been through.  I hope that through my blog and public speaking appearances that I can help change this.  I have found that kids seem the most willing to help.  Check out my blog entry titled "Greenglades Elementary Rocks!" as an example of how students have received the message.

When I speak with students at schools or various student groups, the response has always been great.  They have made some of the coolest cards for the care packages.  They have volunteered to collect ink cartridges for recycling to raise funds and to assist with putting the care packages together each month.  Most kids don't care about the political issues; they only care about helping other kids in need.  They know what it is like to be the "new kid" in a school and can relate to how hard it is to make friends.  Many students, especially in Miami, know how hard it is to come to a new country and have to learn a new language, get used to new foods, and figure out how to fit in.  A connection is made because we focus on what we have in common, not on the ways we are different.

Who or what inspired you to start List Kids? Is your inspiration the same today as it was when you started?

There were two main inspirations for starting The List Kids.  The first person that inspired me is someone that I have never met.  I don't even know his name.  He is an Iraqi boy my age.  My mother represents his family and, through The List Project, is helping them through the resettlement process.  She told me about how he had been kidnapped and held for a week until his family could raise enough money to free him.  He was kidnapped because his father worked with an American team rebuilding schools in Iraq.  His family fled from Iraq to Syria where he lived in a one room apartment with his parents and siblings.  They did not have enough money for him to go to school.  They barely had enough money to pay for food.  As refugees, his parents were prohibited from working while in Syria.  After two years, they ran out of money and were forced to return to Iraq, even though it was still dangerous because of his father's prior employment with the US.  His father resumed working for an US agency and they continue to live in danger, waiting for their day to come live safely in the US.  I cannot even begin to imagine what this boy's life is like.  His story made me realize that the kids that were lucky enough to be resettled here had also been through so much.  I knew I wanted to help in some way so I came up with the idea of The List Kids.

I contacted Kirk Johnson and told him my idea of sending care packages.  Kirk is the second person who really inspired me to take action.  He is an amazing guy.  If you have not read his story, you really need to do so: http://www.thelistproject.org/AUaboutkirk.html.  He started out by helping one interpreter that he had worked with at USAID in Iraq and now spends just about every waking moment helping thousands of US-affiliated Iraqi refugees.  It has been amazing to see how one person can have such a huge impact on the lives of so many people.  Kirk truly is one of those inspiring people that not only does remarkable things in his own right, but he also has the power to inspire others to go beyond what they thought possible.  I am extremely grateful for his support and his friendship.

What are your plans for the project? And how do you foresee yourself continuing your work?

I plan to continue running The List Kids as long as the need for it exists.  At some point, all The List Project families will have made it to the US and The List Kids' original mission will be complete.  I am not sure whether I will continue to do work with refugees or whether I will take on some other causes that are important to me.  I can only tell you that I will always find a way to hopefully make a difference in the world around me.  I know that one person can make a difference.

Get to know other young social entrepreneurs by reading their stories and seeing videos of them in action at http://genvcampaigns.org/

If you are a young person between the ages of 12-20 and want to create positive change in your community join the global movement of young changemakers at http://genv.net/

Youth Taking Action: Kids vs. Global Warming

by James Bach

Published July 08, 2009 @ 08:51AM PT

Every movement needs its Evangelists! When it comes to climate change Ashoka's Youth Venturer Alec Loorz, 14, is one of the most successful galvanizers in the field. Two years ago Alec started Kids vs. Global Warming to educate youth on  climate change and empower them to take action. Alec has gotten his message out to thousands of youth, started several environmental awareness projects and is working on a nationwide advocacy project. We spoke with Alec about his work on climate change, receiving support from Al Gore and how each of us can contribute to combating global warming.

You have been very active in the environmental field, can you tell us about your work? What has been your greatest achievement?

Well, 2 years ago, I founded Kids vs Global Warming, a non-profit designed to educate youth on the science of climate change, and empower them to take action. I've given almost 100 presentations, and spoken to over 12,000 people, teaching about global warming, and promoting the message that youth need to be involved in making changes. I've done a few activism projects, the biggest of which is called SLAP- (Sea Level Awareness Project.) I worked with middle school students from Ventura, California to install 9 foot poles along the beach warning of the potential sea level rise because of global warming.

I'm also the youth leader for the Alliance for Climate Education. I'm working with them to reach over 100,000 high school students before the end of the year. I also wrote the Declaration of Independence from Fossil Fuels. It states that we, the youth of America no longer want to be governed by the fossil fuel industry. And I'm looking for 350,000 youth signatures to bring it to President Obama to show him that the youth cannot be forgotten on this issue. Click here to sign it!

I would say my greatest achievement was finishing SLAP, with the overwhelming support of the city officials and community members of Ventura.

Can you tell us how you got involved in climate change issues and the role that former Vice President Al Gore played in it?

Two years ago, I saw Al Gore's "An Inconvenient Truth," and it changed my life forever. Something sparked inside me after seeing it, and I knew that I was being called to stop global warming within my lifetime. I decided I wanted to educate other kids my age about climate change, so I applied to be trained by my new hero, Al Gore. But I was only 12 years old at the time, so they rejected me... they told me I was too young. So I decided I was just going to do it myself. I put together my own presentation, and started giving it at schools and conferences all around California. After I had given 30 of my own presentations, I actually got to meet my hero, Al Gore, and he ended up personally inviting me to be trained in Nashville, Tennessee. So, as of right now, I am officially the youngest US-trained presenter of the Inconvenient Truth slide show. And ever since I was trained, the whole project has been growing so fast. Mr Gore has been supportive of my work and every time I see him, he always tells me that he's proud of me.

What is your biggest challenge in getting others to change their habits to live more environmentally sustainably?

I would say the biggest challenge is that it is hard to change something that we've never questioned. The generations before mine have built a society that depends way too much on fossil fuels. And our whole lifestyle is now dependent on it.

But we need to learn to push past these old habits and learn how to live with future generations in mind. Everything we do, from buying food to getting dressed to going to school uses fossil fuels. So we need to start by shifting our focus, and changing our mind set.

Kids agree that we need to do something but it is hard to even get our heads around HOW MUCH needs to change. Our whole way of life! Which, of course, won't happen until the new ways of living are available and affordable...which is what we need to be involved in creating.

I think that conserving energy and water and all of our resources is where we need to begin because it helps us to realize that we are dealing with limited resources. But, the real answer is not in conservation. Conservation only slows our usage. What really needs to happen is that we need to completely rethink the way we do life. We need to transition to a new lifestyle that cares as much about future generations and the animals and air and water and eco-systems as we do about ourselves and money and "success." And that is hard to do.

What we really need to do is re-define success as sustainability. If my generation can grow up with a new way of thinking, we will be making laws and inventing technologies and starting businesses with a new value system that is naturally "environmentally sustainable."

Until then, it's hard work.

There are many skeptics when it comes to climate change, what criticisms do you get and how do you respond to them?

There are still many skeptics when it comes to climate change. Even though the entire scientific community (except for maybe a few people who were bought out by oil companies) have accepted that man-made climate change is real, there are still people who believe otherwise. Big oil companies are spending millions of dollars paying off "scientists" just to go out and deny global warming. These are people who are making hundreds of thousands of dollars per year by Exxon and other "interest groups," and are featured in movies like "The Great Global Warming Swindle." And, unfortunately, there is a big group of people who believe what these people are saying, just because they saw it on TV.

I actually got started in this whole thing, though, in a debate with my best friend who didn't believe that climate change was real. I was so mad and frustrated that I couldn't debate with him well enough, so I went home that night and researched all that I could and made my first presentation to prove him wrong! Then, I turned what I learned into my first presentation called "The Climate Skeptic's Five Flavors of Denial" and I began to teach others how to debate with skeptics.

But I've learned since then that there are a lot of people who really don't want to debate. They aren't really "skeptics" because "skeptic" means they're open to learn the truth, even if it is different from what they think. They are "deniers" because it doesn't matter WHAT research or logic you use to talk with them, they just want to be nasty and attack you. I get criticisms all the time through the internet. It's like a safe place for people to be nasty or something. Whenever an article comes out about my global warming work, there are tons of people who get on there anonymously and make comments that I'm misinformed or brainwashed or that I'm lying to people.

These people, I usually ignore because I know that most of them are just angry or scared and lashing out to feel better. But sometimes, like when someone from Rush Limbaugh's staff wrote to me, I respond with thousands of words and pages of evidence from real scientists that shows not only that they need to read the research, but that I've done my research myself!

Can you give us a few practical ways in which each of us can make a positive impact?

The most important thing for all of us to remember is that we MATTER! Even though the actions we need to take might seem small in comparison to the enormity of the problem, every thing we do brings us one step closer to making the shift that we, as a whole society, need to make. So, here are a few ways to get involved in the movement.

-LOWER YOUR EMISSIONS: Simple things like the lists you read everywhere..like changing out lightbulbs, and riding your bike or walking rather than being driven, or planting gardens or using grey water (water from your shower or sinks) to water plants or refusing to use plastic water bottles or bags. There are hundreds of things you can do, I list a handful of them on my website. The reality is...we can't keep wasting energy the way we have been for generations. We are the generation who will grow up doing things different and thinking about the future when using resources.

-GET ORGANIZED: If we work together in our schools and communities, we can totally make a difference. Start a Global Warming Action Team at your school and get your friends to do an energy audit of your school and then raise money or apply for grants to buy solar panels for your school or plant a garden or become recycling maniacs. I know of a high school group in Santa Monica who dressed up like a plastic bag monster and went to their city council and worked to get plastic bags banned from their city.

-RAISE YOUR VOICE: Its also true that we can recycle and ride bikes all day long and we still won't be making a huge dent in the problem. Our whole world needs to get serious and make big changes. We need to be involved in the changes that governments and businesses need to make too. We, as students, need to remember that our VOICES matter even though we can't vote. Because we as youth will be the ones most affected, our voices must be heard by those leaders making decisions that will affect climate change...and our future. There is a strong youth movement going on in our world right now, insisting that change MUST happen. And our voices are needed.

Alec Loorz 6-7 from JP Eason on Vimeo.

Get to know other young social entrepreneurs by reading their stories and seeing videos of them in action at http://genvcampaigns.org/

If you are a young person between the ages of 12-20 and want to create positive change in your community join the global movement of young changemakers at http://genv.net/

Youth Taking Action: Toilets for a Cleaner Environment and Improved Health

by James Bach

category: Young Leaders

Published June 17, 2009 @ 12:05PM PT

The toilet is a modern convenience that most of us take for granted, not making the connection between its function, the environment and our health. Ashoka's Youth Venturer Moses Odhiambo not only understands this interplay, he has also invented a toilet to meet local needs and generate income in his native Kenya. We spoke to him about the Eco-San Toilet, the message it holds, and how it can improve the lives of people living in poverty.

This is a very unique toilet, can you tell us about your design and how it works?

Ecosan Toilet is a sanitation system that does not require any water to function. Not only does it save on water use, but it is entirely isolated from the surrounding environment and cannot contaminate underground water resources. The system utilizes a natural biological process to break down human waste into a dehydrated odorless compost-like material.

Through the uniquely designed ventilation pipe, adequate airflow is provided for the dehydration / evaporation, deodorizing process. Human excrement consists of roughly 95% moisture. As the solids dry in the conveyer the urine and moisture is vented into the atmosphere. The solid waste then dries into a compost-like material, roughly 5 - 10% of its original mass.

A standard component of the Ecosan toilet system is a urinal. Using the urinal will divert some of the liquids that otherwise would have ended up in the helical screw conveyor. Diverting part of the liquids will assist in the evaporation of moisture in the conveyor and will prevent possible bad odors that can be emitted. Three ventilations options are available to ensure a flow of air down the toilet bowl, through the screw conveyor and out via the ventilation pipe.

After six months of anaerobic decomposition the manure is pulled out from the vault and spread on the organic farms while the urine is continually used on fruit trees to provide more greenness to the leaves and therefore aid in photosynthesis. The urine is mixed with water in the ration of 5:1.

Can you tell us more about the problems that you are addressing and how environmental degradation in the Dunga wetlands impacts human health?

In the riparian community unique birds and animals rely on this swamp for survival. However, anthropogenic activities threaten the aforesaid as the swamp is shrinking at an alarming rate due to encroachment for agriculture/cultivation and livestock grazing, setlement , unsustainable papyrus harvesting and use in material culture industries leading to habitat loss as exemplified through cutting, burning and pollution of the swamp. Papyrus cover loss in Dunga has been to the tune of 50% between 1969-2000, and if it continues unabated at current rate, Dunga Swamp will disappear before 2020. The proximity of the swamp to Kisumu City puts particular strain on the swamp through pollution in the form of sewage and solid wastes. The community has been cutting down the wetland to open up areas for farming therefore the wetland does not perform its natural functions, including flood control. Because of the lack of proper toilets the floods wash down all the wastes into the streams and the lake and this is the same water that is used by the community for domestic purposes.

These problems are compounded by the fact that, the wetland is not under any protection and Kenya is yet to finalize a wetlands development and management policy. Being a slum, Dunga experiences a myriad of problems including sanitation, High infant mortality rate due to poor nutrition, flooding, water borne diseases and lack of clean water amongst others. This is the main reason why we started this venture to try and reduce or if possible eliminate some of these problems from the community.

Environmental degradation through burning and clearing of the wetland for agriculture is the main problem we have been trying to address. Even though we cannot do this in isolation because sanitation is one of the highest and a more priority problem for the community. Therefore with these in mind the Ecosan Toilet has tried to look at an integrated solution by providing the compost manure and also improving the sanitation standards of the households and the community at large.

Through the project we have also been trying to empower the women by using the produce from the organic farms to start up small scale businesses and a revolving fund for them.

Your project clearly links environmental protection and improved water and sanitation services by offering an integrated solution, but how do you plan to change current behavior regarding healthy practices and increased respect for the environment?

1.The most effective method that we have been using is going to schools (mostly because we believe that the young ones are a proper agents of change because they will grow up with the positive attitude to the environment). We do school outreach programmes in the 18 schools around the community and also do debates and workshops with the teachers and students.

2. We do radio talk shows: We use the local radio station, which is listened to mostly in the community since its broadcasted in the local language. In the radio programmes we try to reach the wider community and mostly its on awareness creation and the opportunities that lie in the region that they can tap and benefit from.

3. Elder meeting: The village elder and chief normally have meetings with community leaders every month and we have always been invited to share with the elders on our projects. This is also a good opportunity to have the leaders know about the project and spread it more.

Poverty clearly has a great impact on the health of the population, can you explain how your project also positively contributes to the local economy?

Poverty is normally the hidden main root cause of all the environmental, social and economic problems. It is never possible to try and educate or talk to the community about conservation or protection of the environment without giving them solutions about how they can get food to the table. The project tries to give the community an eye opener and for them to see these opportunities that they can tap while they sustainable utilize the wetland.

Selling of the organic farm produce which is now in abundance, selling of the ecosan fertilizer and starting of the revolving fund are some ways that the ecosan project tries to improve or raise the income or lifestyle of the community.

Where do you see your project going and how do you foresee yourself continuing to contribute to the development of your country?

I see the project being a starting point for a self sufficient community. It might be a long journey for the impacts to reach a larger level but taking each step at a time and with the support of the community at large I believe that the community can become a model to the town and the country about how simple initiatives can make the greatest impacts. Having been brought up by a single mother and going through hardships to get education I have always wished to give back to my community all that I have learnt and continue learning through the opportunities I get.

Having been selected amongst more than 200 youth around the world to come to US and learn on environmental restoration with Earth Corps humbles me and gives me the motivation that I can achieve whatever ambitions I have and my community will one day come out of the problems facing them without always waiting for handouts but by working hard on projects that uplift there living standards.

My personal goal and objective is to one day be able to become the effective leader that my country is yet to find.

Get to know other young social entrepreneurs by reading their stories and seeing videos of them in action at http://genvcampaigns.org/

If you are a young person between the ages of 12-20 and want to create positive change in your community join the global movement of young changemakers at http://genv.net/

Youth Taking Action: A 15 Year Old Invents the Future

by James Bach

categories: Competitions and Fellowships, innovation, Technology, Young Leaders

Published June 03, 2009 @ 07:22AM PT

At the tender age of 9, Javier Fernández-Han found his calling: design for the other 90 percent - help the world's poor meet their basic needs sustainably.

Several years of research and design have led to an innovative solution: The VERSATILE System - a mashup of new and adapted technology that treats waste, produces methane and bio-oil as fuel, produces food for humans and livestock, sequesters greenhouse gases, and produces oxygen.

What drives this complete energy resource system? Algae - the little organism that could.

For his work, Javier, 15, won the top prize in this year's Invent Your World Challenge, sponsored by Ashoka's Youth Venture and the Lemelson Foundation.

We spoke to Javier about the VERSATILE System and the need for holistic thinking in the invention sector.

1. If your invention - VERSATILE System - is the answer, what is the question?

What system can improve the quality of life in a village by providing the basic necessities of food, sanitation, energy-fuel, and income in an environmentally sustainable and technologically appropriate fashion?

2. So how does VERSATILE System answer the question? What does it do?

The innovative VERSATILE System answers the question by tightly knitting together a dozen existing and new technologies to meet food, sanitation, energy, income and environmental needs (in a way that's affordable to the world's 90% of the world).

At the heart of this efficient system - the secret ingredient - is algae... salt-water loving algae powered by the sun.

Elegant interconnectedness makes the VERSATILE system unique. Waste from one part of system is nourishment for another, making the system extremely efficient. The VERSATILE system consists of six subsystems:

• Anaerobic digester (AD) - converts food scraps and sewage into "clean" products
• Bio-gas upgrader - takes harmful gases from digester and treats them, turns them into fuel and nourishment for algae
• Vented methane burning stoves - burns methane without polluting, resulting carbon dioxide is captured
• Algae bioreactors - use sunlight, saltwater, carbon dioxide and nutrients from digester to produce oxygen and algae biomass, which can be used as food for livestock and people
• Flush latrines
• PlayPump - turns human energy (from children playing) into stored energy that can be used to power VERSATILE system and other electronic devices

Click on presentation for details of the system.

The VERSATILE system is also a source of income. Algae biomass can be processed into livestock and aquaculture feed, pharmaceutical and nutraceutical products (DHA, omega-3s, etc). Extra methane and algae oil (SVO) produced by the AD can be stored and sold as fuel or to a refinery for processing. Finally, carbon credits can be sold to factories.

All parts of the VERSATILE system are modular. This allows the system to be highly customized to meet the needs of the owner(s).

3. Most inventions aim to do one thing well. You chose to multitask. Why is it important to link the different processes into one system?

By interconnecting the 12 technologies in the 6 subsystems the VERSATILE system provides a complete solution in a practically waste free manner. As much as possible, waste created by one part is used as nourishment and fuel for another. An invention that is narrowly focused on solving a single problem often inadvertently creates more problems because nature is highly complex and interconnected.

A single invention rarely solves an entire problem. Often we only see a small part of a larger problem without seeing the connections between the many parts. If we focus on only one small part of a complex interconnected system we may not understand the full extent of our impact on the rest of the system.

4. What does this type of holistic thinking mean for today's inventors?

Holistic thinking means that today's inventor's need to think broadly about the problems they attempt to solve. Technology is often only a small part of an entire solution. To fully address an issue, inventors need to also consider cultural, religious, political, economic and environmental implications.

For example, there is a village named Djenne in the African country of Chad. Not long ago Djenne had no running water. A group of engineers learned about the village's lack of running water and installed an entire system that provided the homes with running water. At first, the project seemed like a complete success. Then the project became an environmental and sanitation disaster. The problem was that the village had no sewage system. When there was no running water, each family's sewage and dirty water was simply collected in a bucket which was emptied at the end of each day. But when water became readily available, the villagers began using much more of it and quickly overwhelmed their bucket system of sewage removal. As a result, dangerous open sewage flowed into the streets and caused a major sanitation hazard.

5. If we were to set up VERSATILE System in an African or Indian village tomorrow, what changes are we likely to see in the village in a year's time?

• Less coughing due to drastic reduction of air pollution thanks to replacement of wood burning stoves with cleaner burning stoves that use methane. Villagers enjoy better health.
• Less time spent foraging for wood as fuel thanks to methane produced by VERSATILE. Children have more time available for studying because they don't need to forage for wood as fuel. Children gain education.
• Electricity generated by Playpump powers LED lights at night, allowing people to work and read at night. Villagers can be more productive.
• A medical diagnostics company has shown interest in buying bulk algae-biomass from the village for processing into pharmaceutical and nutraceutical products (e.g. Phycobiliproteins which have market value of up to $10,000 per kg).
• More villagers can afford to raise goats, pigs, and fish due to availability of algae as livestock and fish feed. Villagers enjoy better nutrition and gain income from sale of livestock.
• Villagers no longer have to buy tanks of methane or propane for use in lighting, heating, and cooking thanks to the methane produced by VERSATILE. Villagers sell excess methane for income.
• Villagers use the algae oil produced by VERSATILE to power a variety of labor-saving machines (flour mill, corn husker, water pump, etc.) that can use straight vegetable oil (SVO) as fuel. Villagers sell excess SVO for income.
• Villagers negotiating to sell carbon credits due to VERSATILE's greenhouse gas sequestering capabilities.

6. Do you foresee your invention/innovation being scaled up to serve larger communities or cities, what might that look like?

Due to the VERSATILE system's innovative modular design, it can easily be scaled up or down to serve communities with populations ranging anywhere from 100 to 200,000+ people. A village simply adds additional modules as their population grows. Another benefit of having a modular system is that a village can build or buy the stock VERSATILE system and add extra components one at a time as they can afford them. This way, they do not have to buy an entire new system at once or obtain a costly high interest loan.

The VERSATILE system can also be installed nearly anywhere with a warm climate, including deserts irrigated by saltwater, and even in submarines and cruise ships. All that you might have to change is the algae. There are literally thousands of algae strains - some are better suited for certain conditions and functions than others.

The VERSATILE system can also be scaled down in size. I am currently developing a family-sized VERSATILE system for developed countries. It is the same concept as the VERSATILE system 2.0, just scaled down to fit the size limitations of a small house or apartment and with an estimated cost of $300.

We are at the dawn of the algae era.

I envision my grandchildren asking me in amazement one day as we tour the Boston Museum of Science:

"Granddad, was there really a time when the versatility of algae was not harnessed but rather algae was treated as pond-scum... a nuisance?"

Get to know other young social entrepreneurs by reading their stories and seeing videos of them in action at http://genvcampaigns.org/

If you are a young person between the ages of 12-20 and want to create positive change in your community join the global movement of young changemakers at http://genv.net/

Youth Taking Action: Sexual and Reproductive Health Education

by James Bach

category: Young Leaders

Published May 20, 2009 @ 08:46AM PT

Imagine you're in high school and you start to notice that more and more of your classmates are getting pregnant. What would you do? Ashoka Youth Venturer José María Mora Luna of Puebla, Mexico, had an answer - organize youth to teach other youth about sexual and reproductive health. At the age of 15 José María started Services for Youth Sexual Education (SESEJ), which has trained more than 2,500 youth through experiential education workshops. At times SESEJ has pushed the envelope in conservative Mexico by engaging youth through sex education videos and demonstrations using dildos and vagina prosthesis. We spoke with José María about empowering fellow youth, work challenges, and the need to shift society's views on sexual and reproductive health.

What inspired you to start SESEJ?

SESEJ was conceived, designed and started in 2004. That was the year my friends and I began our studies in high school. When we entered the school we noticed a large number of pregnant girls! This really worried us because most of them believed that pregnancy sidetracked (sometimes permanently) their plans. We were also shocked that so many of us youth started to become sexually active at such an early age without having sufficient information to prevent unwanted pregnancies as well as the possibility of infection from Sexual Transmitted Diseases (STDs). This project is based on and inspired by the youth with whom we live on a daily basis, many of whom are our friends, neighbors or even relatives.

Why are schools so ineffective or inefficient in teaching such topics as the importance of knowing more about sexual and reproductive health?

The education system in Mexico is used to censor certain topics related to sexuality. Teachers are not used to openly choosing topics on sexual and reproductive health for fear of retaliation by parents, many of whom think that young people will learn everything we need to know about sexual health in due time. But the question is, when is that time?

Parents, teachers and even religions have a hard time accepting that youth must be well informed now, and not be isolated from the realities we live with from day to day. In many places in the world lots of young people get some kind of infection or die because they lack the information to protect and care for themselves when it comes to their sexual lives.

In many parts of the world reproductive health and sex education can be controversial. Have you experienced any resistance to your work? If so, how have you confronted it?

The resistance we have encountered in our work has mostly been from the schools, by the obstacles that the "older" generation puts in our way. Some teachers do not allow us to develop and carry out the workshops because they have the misconception that we do not have sufficient information to properly inform and empower other young people; how can youth inform and educate other youth? Frankly, we were able to demonstrate that we had the knowledge and skills to work with them, and those same schools ended up recommending us to others. For us, this was a great success!!!

Fortunately, we were able to prove to them that we had the capacity (knowledge and skills) to train other youth, and in most occasions we invited the teachers that doubted our ability to do an "adequate" job to observe our workshop and judge our performance for themselves. As it turned out, all of the schools that had doubted our ability had changed their minds after observing one of our trainings. This cleared the way for us to continue our work!

What do you think needs to happen in our society to achieve a lasting and positive change regarding the way sexual and reproductive health is viewed?

I think the most important step is to open the door to freedom of expression. I also believe in different social groups joining forces. I truly believe that we all have the gift of giving and we all bring positive things that contribute to the different processes that lead to our development and help us grow s human beings and have a better life.

It is important that adults understand and allow us to participate openly in the issues that affect our society, youth are not what the adults view us to be, we are the ones who bring the benefits to all, the ones who innovate and those who believe in change. It is important that adults help us achieve these changes and to forget the bad ideas that they alone have created, we are NOT irresponsible youth, and youth are NOT the future, but one thing I am sure of is that THE YOUTH ARE THE PRESENT AND WE ARE CHANGING THE WORLD.

What are your plans for SESEJ? What are your hopes for the youth that you continue to work with?

As a team I think what interests us most is that other young people participate and get involved in the work that we are developing. We hope to make SESEJ a Civil Society Organization (CSO), while offering more and improved services for youth. We hope to have a strong social impact by contributing to the decrease in the transmission of STDs as well as the reduction of unwanted pregnancies among youth. We also want to motivate the youth to raise their voices and to believe in their own ideas, THE YOUTH ARE AND WILL BE THE PRESENT, AND THE FUTURE OF OUR SOCIETY!
Get to know other young social entrepreneurs by reading their stories and seeing videos of them in action at http://genvcampaigns.org/

If you are a young person between the ages of 12-20 and want to create positive change in your community join the global movement of young changemakers at http://genv.net/

Youth Taking Action: Shedding Light on Rural Innovation

by James Bach

category: Young Leaders

Published May 06, 2009 @ 07:19AM PT

Social entrepreneurs aim to help others with their innovations, but some actually start out trying to help themselves. That was the case with Shailesh Upadhyay, an Ashoka Youth Venturer in India. Growing up in a village without electricity, he struggled with finding a light source that could help him study at night. His solution involves tractors and a switch he invented that can connect compact fluorescent bulbs to tractor batteries.

We spoke to Shailesh and his teammate, Ujala Shanker about their work and how social entrepreneurs should innovate for rural needs.

1) Can you describe the design of your invention and where the idea came from? What was your inspiration?

I am from rural background and went to school in a village near Varanasi. I had a tough time while studying due to power crisis. Being asthmatic, I had to inhale toxic fumes of the kerosene lamp that worsened my health.

Due to lack of resources, I had to drop-out for a few years before joining college. Like me, many rural students struggle to progress in spite of their intelligence and enthusiasm.

As they say, "Necessity is the mother of Invention" and this experience gave me a great inspiration to device a solution. My experience in farming prompted me to think about utilizing the tractor battery as the power source.

I designed a circuit to tap into the tractor battery to power up one CFL at night, and implemented it successfully for my use. Later, when I started engineering studies, I discussed this idea with Ujala Shanker who was actively involved in rural activities. That marked the birth of this venture. We both dreamed of scaling this to more homes and tried the solution on 17 homes in Gurera village near Varanasi. To our delight, we were able to help 30 students study longer hours and improve their health due to reduction of pollution.

2) What are all the benefits of the Tractor Factor's eco-switch device?

The advantages of this system are:

1. Reduction of pollution by using CFLs instead of bulbs and lanterns: 240,000 liters of CO2 per month and 2,450,000 kJ of heat per month.
2. Improvement in academic performance of students, as they now have a light source to study after dark.
3. Better health for users by reducing Asthma, ENT and Eye problems.
4. Cost Savings
1. For farmers and rural students
2. Saves Govt. subsidy

5. Increased lifespan of tractor battery (For technical information please refer to point 5 from the following link; http://www.tatagreenbattery.com/BatteryTips.html)
6. We are currently exploring if the same solution can also help women in doing some activities early in the morning or late night such as milking the cows, using a comfortable light source.

3) What have been the biggest obstacles in implementing your innovation and how did you overcome those challenges? What are your future plans for The Tractor Factor?

We faced the following problems during implementation:

1. Villagers thought that using the battery for lighting CFLs will eat up the battery and reduce its life, as a result of which their tractors will be affected. On the contrary, tractor battery life is increased by at least 3 months due to regular use of the battery.

To convince the villagers, we gave them demos of the device and asked a technician to come and explain the advantages in terms of better battery life to villagers.

2. Some villagers were also very concerned about the safety while operating the gadget. They feared that they will get a shock while plugging in the wires.

Hence, we took some time in showing demos and practicals before we could finally convince the people that the gadget operates under 12 V DC which is safe for the human body.

This problem was especially faced while dealing with girls and women.

Our current plan is to implement this solution in 4 more villages. We plan to seek more funding and resources from other organizations so as to impact as many villages in India as possible, in the future.

4) Innovative grass-roots solutions can have extremely positive effects on communities, but in order to reach as many people as possible the ideas must be relatively easy to implement while maintaining low costs. Based on your experience how can social entrepreneurs meet these two needs?

Honest feedback is the key. Many times people try to impose new ideas on the community and ignore the suggestions of beneficiaries thinking, "Oh! What do these folks know about technology? We better stick to our plan..."

From our experience we feel embracing suggestions and communicating continuously with people who use or plan to use the gadget, is really important. Understanding the needs and affordability, and fine-tuning the solution are the key.

Secondly, being a good observer helps in identifying the difficulties and simplest ideas that could be of great impact. So yes, one should keep his/her eyes and ears wide open. :)

5) Looking into the future how do you foresee yourself continuing your social entrepreneurial work? Do you hope to take on other challenges that affect rural India?

Yes, Ujala and I are continuously brainstorming new ideas that can help the community. Our mentor, Mrs. Sandhya is also very passionate about rural issues and is supporting us in carrying out activities. As of now our primary focus is Tractor-factor but down the line we hope to evolve more business models that have a direct impact on community. After we are successful in 4 villages this year, we want to tackle many more villages next year. We also want to influence the tractor makers to incorporate the gadget into the tractors. We want to educate the rural youth so that they can carry our work forward, thus scaling it easily. Our long-term goal is to completely focus on entrepreneurship.

Get to know other young social entrepreneurs by reading their stories and seeing videos of them in action at http://genvcampaigns.org/

If you are a young person between the ages of 12-20 and want to create positive change in your community join the global movement of young changemakers at http://genv.net/

Youth Taking Action: Environmental Activism

by James Bach

category: Young Leaders

Published April 22, 2009 @ 08:53AM PT

Every day is Earth Day for Youth Venturer Chloe Maxmin. In the autumn of 2007 Chloe started Climate Action Club inspiring students, teachers, and administrators at her high school to change their behaviors and school policies to be more environmentally sustainable. This success led Chloe to start a community wide initiative as well as launch a website to inspire and support other young environmentalists. We spoke with Chloe about her work and asked her for some advice on how you can be a successful environmental leader in your own community.

In your recent initiative "Paper vs. Plastic" you are really engaging the whole community to adopt more environmentally friendly practices. Can you tell us more about this initiative and how you are getting everyone to participate in it?

The Climate Action Club started a reusable bag campaign to advocate for a reduction in the use of plastic bags in local stores. Our strategy was to involve the whole community in this effort. We used a variety of tactics:

1. Meetings and outreach with merchants: We held several meetings with local merchants. We explained our interests and listened to their interests and concerns. We developed research to help inform them. I produced a video, a fact sheet, and sent frequent emails. We invited legislative and marketing experts to speak at one meeting and invited discussion. We surveyed the merchants to see the range of solutions in which they were interested. We canvassed shops asking them to sign pledge cards and participate in our meetings. We made extra efforts to understand the store owners and the obstacles they face.
2. Community education and outreach: We began a column in our local newspaper explaining our campaign and the science behind it. We canvassed shoppers on the streets, explaining our work, handing out fact sheets and free canvas bags. Our movie was shown repeatedly on our local cable channel. We spoke at the local elementary and middle school.
3. When I won a $1000 award from Prudential for community volunteerism, I donated it to the campaign as a challenge grant for the community. This was written up in a feature in the paper, as well as in our column. I decided this would take the financial pressure off the merchants during tough times. We opened up donations to the challenge grant to community organizations as well as to individuals and businesses. Within a few weeks we had raised the equivalent of the challenge grant from a cross section of people and organizations.

We are now in the process of ordering our first installment of reusable bags. They will feature a town logo on one side and the names or logos of donors on the other side. The CAC will buy the bags, sell them in local stores, and use the proceeds to buy more bags. We have structured the system so that can be self sustaining and continuous. We continue to raise money and apply for grants so that we can expand the project. We hope to have the bags for sale in town by the summer.

You have done some incredible work and really shown yourself to be a leader in your community, what advice or (5) tips would you have for other young social entrepreneurs that could help them take an active role and leadership position in their communities?

1. EDUCATE: I believe it is vital to educate people about the current climate crisis. Many people do not really understand global warming, the impact of their individual actions, or how they fit into the ‘bigger picture.' I have spent extra time in my work with the CAC to develop educational materials not only for ourselves, but for the merchants and citizens. Education will empower people to inspire their neighbors and peers to take action. Informed action will lead to lasting change.
2. UNDERSTAND: It is extremely important to understand the people with whom you work. You have to take extra time to learn about their experiences, obstacles, concerns, and wishes. If you want effective and lasting change to occur, you can't work on a one-way street. You need to give and take. You might not achieve your perfect reality. But a compromise will lead to a more equitable and supported outcome.
3. REACH OUT: It is crucial to reach out beyond your sphere of influence into the wider community and to all age groups. This is one of the most powerful ways you can involve your whole community. You can achieve this goal in many ways. For example, the Climate Action Club has stood outside local stores, handing out free reusable bags and fact sheets to customers. We have also extended many of our school projects into town. Lastly, the CAC has diffused our educational materials throughout the local community: on the local cable channel, in stores, libraries, supermarkets, and schools. If you make an extra effort to reach out to as many people as possible, you will have more support and recognition.
4. GET INVOLVED: Form partnerships with other organizations, individuals, and groups. Get involved with people who are not part of your immediate venture. This will help develop an effective support network that is crucial to any group. It's important that you don't stay isolated in your bubble. You need to get involved with others to learn about their work and forge relationships. You can expand your resources and possibly even work together to create a bigger impact.
5. INSPIRE: It is critical that you share your passion with your peers, co-workers, and partners. As a leader, it is your responsibility to convey your enthusiasm. Your individual determination has the potential to inspire hundreds of people around the globe. But you have to strongly believe in your cause. You have to find the inner strength to share your motivation to inspire others. This can cause a powerful ripple effect that could galvanize your whole community to action.

What are your hopes for your current initiatives and where do you see your work going forward from here?

As described above, our biggest initiative right now is the reusable bag campaign. The CAC is also leading a campaign to reduce the use of energy at our school. We have worked with faculty to decrease the amount of time that computers, monitors, and printers are active. We have installed SmartStrips in two classrooms. The CAC is also collaborating with the administration around new policies for energy usage. We think the school's lights should be switched off at night, since 1/3 of our school's lights stay on all night.

The Climate Action Club is also continuing to recycle batteries and cartridges both in our school and community. As the height of spring approaches, we are monitoring our school campus for idling. We will continue to talk to idling drivers and educate them about the harmful effects of idling on the environment. We surveyed the school campus a couple of days ago, and there were only two idling cars.

On a more personal level, I want the club to be able to thrive without me by the time I graduate. I want to make sure that there is a strong foundation so the club will continue as an effective platform for students to have voice and real impact. I want the club to be an exciting platform for others to make a difference. However, it is my responsibility to give the club the tools, knowledge, and relationships to be able to continue our work. I want to further develop this platform for future generation of the CAC so it can continue to be a powerful body of young changemakers.

I also hope that my experiences with the CAC will enable me to create even more powerful movements in the future. I have learned so much about human behavior and attitudes toward change through my environmental work. I can now see that there are millions of noble, brilliant, and effective ventures around the world that are committed to saving our planet. These groups range from Al Gore's Repower America to ventures in Africa.

However, while I admire these efforts, I see how their power is limited because each one is separate from a wider network. Massive organizations, corporations, non-profits, for-profits, clubs, societies, and individuals are all taking action. But we are all fragmented. I see a need to unite and coordinate the global community of activists. I believe this is the next step that is essential for a better planet.

Get to know other young social entrepreneurs by reading their stories and seeing videos of them in action at http://genvcampaigns.org/

If you are a young person between the ages of 12-20 and want to create positive change in your community join the global movement of young changemakers at http://genv.net/