Vannie Djounguep is reshaping gender equality, entrepreneurship, and environmental sustainability in Cameroon and beyond. Her inspiring story is one of empowerment and impact. Originating from Cameroon, Vannie is not only an accomplished author but also a gender expert and sociologist dedicated to positively impacting her community. Recently, she participated in the esteemed Advancing Gender Equality and Women Empowerment 2023 Entrepreneurship and Financial Literacy Training Programme, organized by the UNITAR Division for Prosperity / Hiroshima Office in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and generously funded by the Government of Canada.

Kuena James Dak Kuena is a South Sudanese entrepreneur, social worker and ICT specialist who seeks to empower local farmers and advance the agricultural sector by using the power of technology. He is currently ICT and communication assistant for an NGO that promotes youth livelihoods, peace building and education among vulnerable communities and refugees in Uganda and South Sudan. Kuena joined the UNITAR programme Great Ideas Space for South Sudan 2023: Entrepreneurship and Innovation Training for Food Security so he could learn how to operationalize his agritech project.

May 2024, Hiroshima, Japan - Agnes Chiu, a high school student in Hong Kong, leads a global youth initiative called “Design Your Life at 25” to help teenagers envision their life and career paths and make informed decisions to reach their dreams. In immersive three-hour workshops, Agnes and her team guide teenagers through self-discovery journeys to envision their lives at age 25. To date, the initiative has already trained 300 young people from 14 countries. Inspired by the UNITAR Asia Pacific Ambassador Programme, Agnes and her team are now developing an app driven by artificial intelligence (AI) to enhance engagement and accessibility for her workshops.

23 May 2024, Hiroshima, Japan – In the heart of Baghdad Medical City is a woman dedicated to improving Iraqi health care: Dr. Mawadah Arif Hammadi. As a junior resident physician, Mawadah works in the emergency room, where she cares for the many frightened people who come through the door. Doing what she can to ensure that every Iraqi person gets accessible, quality health care, Mawadah is developing a project to raise breast cancer awareness among Iraqi women.

23 May 2024, Hiroshima, Japan - Gloria Loishiye is one of over 2,000 alumni of the 2023 UNITAR Advancing Gender Equality and Women Empowerment Entrepreneurship and Financial Literacy Training Programme. She is a Tanzanian entrepreneur whose ventures span landscaping, gardening and environmental conservation.

22 May 2024, Hiroshima, Japan – Witnessing the devastating effects of disasters in his hometown of Zamboanga City, the Philippines, Guiane Paul Pena, a 17-year-old student at Regional Science High School, became determined to help youth respond effectively to such crises. With his country’s vulnerability to a wide range of disasters, including floods, cyclones, droughts, earthquakes, tsunamis and landslides, exacerbated by climate change, Guiane’s efforts to strengthen local resilience, emergency response and preparedness are both timely and crucial.

15 May 2024, Hiroshima, Japan – Kuena James Dak, a dedicated South Sudanese entrepreneur, is driven by a passion to uplift the agricultural sector and empower local farmers. His vision is to bridge the gap between technology and agriculture. James works through his agritech venture to empower small- and medium-scale farmers so they can boost their productivity and raise their incomes.

11 April 2024, Hiroshima, Japan – Olha Vovchok, from Cherkasy, Ukraine, is an alumna of the UNITAR training programme “Bolstering Livelihoods: Digital Reskilling for Ukrainian Women Evacuees in Poland”. Olha participated in this programme in hopes of unlocking her potential and helping her community in a foreign country.

27 February 2024, Hiroshima, Japan - Anna Takai is a young changemaker with a heart as expansive as her dreams. The 17-year-old student at MITA International School, Tokyo, is driven by a passion for education and a fervent desire to make a difference.

28 November 2023, Hiroshima, Japan – UNITAR alumna Karmen Chebib is Head of the Information and Public Relations Unit at the Center for Educational Research and Development, Ministry of Education and Higher Education in Lebanon. Through education, she works to dismantle entrenched gender stereotypes that keep women and girls behind.