A few formidable young women we at YouthhubAfrica are celebrating for their role in leading social change in their communities and Africa at large.

1. Formidable Women Leading Social Change In Africa
The month of March every year is set aside to celebrate Women in some parts of the
world. The United Nations International Women's Day also falls on the 8th of March!
This whole month is dedicated to celebrating women on their social, economic, cultural
and political achievements. It offers an opportunity to reappraise the progress of
women in various aspects and dynamics of society. It is also a good time to look around
the world and address major challenges preventing women from pulling themselves up
by the bootstrap. This year's International Women's Day celebration was themed
around the pledge for parity.
In marking this important month, we at YouthhubAfrica are celebrating the following
African women leading social change in their communities and Africa at large. We see
them as inspirations and examples of what is possible when women rise above the
limitations that society sets on their dreams. Join us to celebrate the YouthhubAfrica’s
Formidable Women Leading Social Change in Africa 2016! #YoungWomenAfrica.
Rapelang Rabana, South Africa, 31, Founder and CEO of Rekindle Learning.
Dubbed the “Marissa Mayer of the Silicon Cape”, this South African entrepreneur and
computer sciences graduate co-founded Yeigo, one of the world’s first mobile VoIP
applications. Named one of Africa’s Best Young Entrepreneurs by Forbes Africa, she
became a World Economic Forum Global Shaper, all before the age of 30. In 2013, she
launched the online training and education company Rekindle Learning. She actively
promotes the role of women in business as well as the potential of mobile technology to
seed new business opportunities that provide much-needed jobs and crack socio-

2. economic challenges. The Business Science, major in Computer Science graduate also
sits on the board of Ubuntu Africa Healthcare. She tweets through @rapelangrabana
Aya Chebbi, Tunisia, 29, Blogger and Speaker, African Youth Movement.
Aya Chebbi is a young Tunisian blogger and speaker, women's advocate and peace
activist. She has worked on youth development projects at AIESEC, Y-Peer and the
Danish Program Office in Tunisia, refugee camps on the Tunisian-Libyan borders during
Libya’s civil war and elections monitoring at the Carter Center for 2012 presidential
elections in Egypt. She was also Africa and Middle East Youth Coordinator at World
Peace Initiative Foundation, an international organization that promotes peace
worldwide, and Co-chair of the Youth Advisory Group of CIVICUS World Alliance for
Citizen Participation.
Following Tunisia’s revolution, she has been speaking widely about social movements
worldwide for conferences and rallies in United States, Canada, Poland, Turkey and
Kenya among other countries. Aya received her degree in International Relations from
the Higher Institute of Human Sciences of Tunis. In 2011, following her graduation, she
was awarded the MENA Democracy Fellows Scholarship from the World Affairs Institute
where she interned at US congressional offices and Hudson Institute Think Tank. In
2012, she was awarded the prestigious Fulbright Scholarship at Georgia Southern
University.
Currently, she is the founding chair of the African Youth Movement, co-founder of the
Voice of Women Initiative.

3. In recognition of her achievements, Aya was named one of Africa's most Outstanding
Young Women leaders in 2013 (Ghana), the Young Achiever of the Year 2015 (South
Africa), and received the Excellence in Leadership award from the African Viewpoint
Journal 2015. She is currently a Mo Ibrahim Scholar at School of Oriental and African
Studies, university of London.
Aya considers her life’s mission uniting North Africa with the rest of the continent based
on her pan-african vision and promoting youth agenda regionally and internationally.
She shares her thoughts on twitter through @aya_chebbi and blogs at http://aya-
chebbi.blogspot.com.ng/
Agnes Mulewa Ng’anga, Kenya, 22, Chief Executive Officer of International Brand
Solutions (IBS).
At only 22 years of age, Agnes Mulewa has managed to beat life obstacles to become
one of the youngest entrepreneurs and life changers in Kenya. Agnes Mulewa Ng’anga is
the Chief executive officer of International Brand Solutions (IBS), a company worth over
6 million Kenyan Shillings (about US$60,000). It is a fast growing research market
company with a uniqueness of rebranding existing brands to easily meet the market
demand and the right audience.
Agnes, who is currently a fourth year studying for Bachelor’s degree in Business and
Information Technology at Strathmore University, has started a girl empowerment
programme to mentor those who want to get into business. “There is a gap in the
society, because the current generation of girls is not well groomed for the future… My
target audience in this journey is mainly women and girls in their discovery point of life.
The same attention they give to beauty and fame should be given to education and
advancing their professional career,” she said.

4. Ja Young Naphtalie Margaret, 23 Kenya.
Born in Tanzania to missionary parents, Ja Young Naphtalie Margaret is the co-convener
of The National Youth Enterprise Development and Support Committee, Kenya. She is
also the acting Chief Executive Officer of Bell Mount Registrars and runs a girls-
empowerment scheme called the “Girls Power Clubs Africa”.
The Power Clubs provide basic needs like food and clothing for children that live in
Nairobi’s slums through the Sadili Oval Sports Academy project. The group also offers
life skill trainings to young people in schools in various communities. Margaret is also
the co-convener of the Kenya Chambers of Commerce and and Industry.
She tweets at @NMJayoung

5. Lieutenant Ouma Laouali, 28 years, Niger.
When the story of Ouma broke, it created a sensation online and in mainstream media
both in her native Niger Republic and across the African continent. 28 year-old
Lieutenant Ouma Laouali broke Niger’s military glass ceiling when she became the first
female pilot to serve in the country’s Armed Forces, flying the Cessna aircraft, a “combat
caravan”, used for various military operations. Niger Air Force is part of the country’s
Armed Forces. Ouma with this feat joins part of the over 12,000 military personnel
battling insurgents in and outside the country.

6. Naomi Mwaura, 27 Years, Kenya, Founder of FLONE Initiative.
Naomi Mwaura has over three years’ experience in various fields in the community
development sector, with an emphasis in the prevention of sexual violence. She is the
founding director of the Flone Initiative, through which she engages with men to stop
sexual violence by leading strategic development, organizing events, and building social
awareness. She is co-founder and director of Udada Festival Trust, an organization that
showcases and celebrates women’s achievements in the arts where she is in charge of
the business administration and finance. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology
(Honors) and is currently pursuing a Master's in Business Administration from the
United States International University in Nairobi, Kenya where she is undertaking
research in sustainability strategies of non-governmental organizations in Kenya. Upon
completion of the Fellowship, she plans to apply what she learns to further her work
engaging men to prevent sexual violence and promoting women's rights. Naomi is
passionate about her campaign against Gender Based Violence.
She’s reachable via her organisation’s twitter handle - @FloNeInitiative

7. Ilwad Elman, 26 Years, Somalia, Activist.
Ilwad runs the Elman Peace and Human Rights Center (EPHRC) in Mogadishu with her
mother, Fartun Adan who set it up in honour of her late husband, Elman Ali Ahmed, an
ardent Somali peace activist who was assassinated in 1996.
As the director of programmes and development for EPHRC, Ilwad is
responsible for the organisation’s operations in South and Central Somalia, managing
programmes aimed at the rehabilitation and reintegration of children involved in armed
conflict. Programmes include vocational skills training, non-formal education and the
provision of university grants.
Through a charity called Sister Somalia, Ilwad and her mother established the first rape
crisis centre in Mogadishu during the height of the 2011 drought and subsequent
famine emergency. The centre has helped over 2,000 women and girls rebuild their lives
by providing emergency medical care, shelter, education and business start-up grants.
Ilwad is also the co-chair of the Child Protection Working Group in Mogadishu.
She shares her thoughts on twitter through @IlwadElman

8. Irene Ikomu, 26 Years, Co-Founder Parliament Watch, Uganda.
Irene Ikomu has five years of experience working around themes of governance and
democracy in Uganda. She manages Parliament Watch Uganda, an initiative that
monitors ongoing parliamentary processes and disseminates this information to the
Ugandan public through various online platforms. She currently sits on USAID Uganda’s
Democracy, Rights and Governance Advisory Board. In addition, Irene has been
recognized as an outstanding young leader by the U.S. Embassy and selected to serve as
a Generation Change Fellow representing youth perspectives at policy and political
analysis dialogues. She has been behind diverse social change start-ups that have
empowered young people in Uganda to become active citizens like the National Debate
Council, Early Life Online Radio and the Green Light Movement. Irene holds a bachelor’s
degree in Law from Makerere University. Upon completion of the Washington
Fellowship, she plans on getting more young people engaged in the policy and
legislative discussion, particularly targeting law students that will be future legislators
and policy analysts.
She shares her thoughts on twitter through @miss_rizzy.