By Nike Ange Djiade Ngalamo (YES 2016-2017, Cameroon, placed with ASSE in Glendive, MT)

Before going on the YES program, I was not the most open-minded person and wasn't sure what I wanted to pursue in life. After my life-changing and powerful experience in the U.S. as a participant in the Kennedy-Lugar Youth Exchange and Study program, I returned to Cameroon and in 2019 was nominated as the President of the Environmental Club at my school, GBHS Bepanda. 

My club started tackling the issue of plastic pollution at our school by separating trash from plastic and partnering with the recycling company, SC2R, to sustainably dispose of our waste. This is how I fell in love with tackling the issue of plastic pollution in Cameroon.

After receiving my college degree, I applied to participate in a plastic pollution training in Geneva. I formed a team and our submission to the challenge was approved. My team and I learned a lot during the training and, in the end, we presented the final pitch of our project and received a certificate for the “Best Community Impact Award.”

Unfortunately, we were not able to implement our project at the targeted schools because of the COVID-19 pandemic, but we are planning to implement the project this year with more schools and beneficiaries involved. During the COVID-19 pandemic, we started a Facebook page where we are informing the community about waste pollution and how to recycle sustainably. The next step for us is to continue growing and become a social enterprise.  

Now I know what I want to pursue in life — environmental engineering and entrepreneurship. Because of the YES program, I found my passion, and I want to thank the YES program and the U.S. Department of State for this amazing journey. I know this is just the beginning of something amazing.