by Hassan Abdulkadir (YES 2017-2018, Kenya, placed by AFS-USA in Defiance, OH)

I am a youth motivational speaker at my hometown in Bamburi, Mombasa, Kenya. Serving my community turned out to be my passion ever since I was a young lad. At a very young age, I used to accompany my dad to youth camps run by an organization called Mewa, based in Mombasa, and currently hosting American Space. I was able to learn and understand more about youth issues in their respective communities.

The YES program not only gave me a chance to accomplish my educational goals in the United States, but to also learn more about different cultures and people with different customs such as the Amish. I was amazed to see how the Amish live without the use of modern technology.

Given a chance to volunteer during International Education Week in Toledo, Ohio, I was humbled to share some fabulous slideshows with photos of food, wildlife, and traditional dress of the people of my country, Kenya. My inspirational speech to the fifth graders motivated them to learn more about my country and the beauty of the African continent as a whole. All I can say is that the YES program not only opened my eyes, but also gave me skills such as leadership, teamwork, and adaptability.

After I completed my O-level high school studies back in Kenya, I got a chance to volunteer with an organization called Lonamac CBO (Community Based Organization), that focuses mainly on empowering the community in education, governance, and mentorship through art. As a YES alumnus, I used this opportunity to motivate youth located in Kisauni sub-county, Mombasa. With the help of community leaders, I managed to mobilize youth from different wards and discuss mental health topics such as trauma, depression and stress.

Having discovered how passionate I am about community activities, Lonamac gave me a chance to spearhead a project called Psycho-Social Support, which aimed to guide youth on how to cope with their daily challenges in life either spiritually, emotionally or mentally.

We discovered that many youth in Kisauni are facing serious mental health issues. It was highly recommended for youth to join health talks to improve their well-being and to address and learn how to deal with mental health issues.

Learning from their experiences, I spoke with them about techniques to deal with stress and trauma such as reading novels, sleeping, exercising and also paying a visit to a therapist or engaging in community talks. So many of the youth participants were happy and thankful that the program gave them a space to be heard and engaged them in talks which are very beneficial and acted as a ‘burden relief’. I learned that we should continue to create time to listen to youth and help them talk about their problems.  

I am looking forward to work with my fellow alumni on different community projects to empower youth and shape them to be better leaders of tomorrow. I would like to thank the YES program and AFS for giving me a purpose of making a better world for the leaders of tomorrow. I want also to show my appreciation to Lonamac CBO for having faith and trust in me to empower my brothers and sisters. I strongly believe we rise by lifting others.