Stories of Impact
#WorkLifeReady Skilling and Livelihoods for Young People
Generation Unlimited invests in young people and their power to shape a better future by equipping them with skills and connecting them to opportunities for employment and entrepreneurship in digital, green, and AI-driven economies. Here are stories of young people who have stepped onto pathways to learn and earn – transforming their lives and communities.
Brazil: Solange's Path to Her First Job
Once apprehensive about her future, Solange has since secured a paid apprenticeship that changed everything. The first in her family to attend a public university, she began studying Scenic Production at the Federal University of Pará while living with her mother and younger sister in Benevides. Her success didn’t happen overnight. “I took courses in computer skills, diction and public speaking, and female entrepreneurship... They made all the difference because before that, I didn’t have any experience to put on my résumé and wasn’t prepared for a company to see me as a young person with skills.”
Bangladesh: How Razia is Building Her Dream Future
Razia put her education on hold to support her family. Today, the 18-year-old is gaining free, certifiable, market-relevant skills – from digital design and CV writing to workplace communication and safety awareness. With these tools, Razia is building confidence and charting a path toward entrepreneurship in a fast-changing world of work.
India: Women-led Neighbourhood Stores Reshaping Local Economies
Meet Nisha, a high school graduate from a village in western India. After receiving training on a community-led retail model, she now operates her own store, serving 60-100 households every month. Her profitable micro-enterprise – one of over 350 such stores across India – shows how access, training, and community support can build a network of entrepreneurs.
Kenya: Youth Turning to Agripreneurship as Passion and Career
From rural fields to mobile platforms, young Kenyans are leading a new era of climate-smart farming. Felista, Eric, and Grace are among thousands of young agripreneurs leveraging practical training and tools to grow their agribusinesses, strengthen local food systems, and build climate-resilient communities.
South Africa: For Aneesha, Waste Holds Wealth & a Livelihood
Aneesha Davids runs a ReChas (Recycling Champions) site in Beaumont West, South Africa, where waste collectors earn money for dropping off recyclables. The programme trains unemployed youth and women in waste management, offers mentorship and startup capital, and equips sites with smart scales and a mobile app to track waste and payments. Aneesha now supports her family through this microenterprise: “A bottle is not a bottle anymore. Now it can bring value to you.”
Egypt: Abdallah Creates AI Learning-for-Earning Solution
Abdallah Lamie’s startup connects youth with personalized, skill-based learning for future jobs. In an era where AI is rapidly transforming industries, this 23-year-old student is ensuring that young people aren’t left behind. His solution assesses individual strengths and matches learners with real-world, job-ready skills, from digital marketing to coding. Abdallah envisions a world where geography doesn’t determine destiny: “Where you’re born shouldn’t limit what you can achieve. Technology and education can level the playing field.”
Mongolia: Students Bring Clean Energy to their Communities
In Mongolia, 27 young people joined a four-day renewable energy training supported by UNICEF, Generation Unlimited, and the Mongolian University of Science and Technology. Focusing on solar energy, they gained practical skills, leadership, and confidence to lead in their communities. Now, they are teaching 2,000 more students about clean energy and helping develop solar-powered phone charging stations at schools.
Kenya: How Janet is Fighting Plastic Pollution and Unemployment
In Mathare, one of Nairobi’s largest informal settlements, Janet Dete saw an opportunity where others saw waste. She began collecting synthetic hair discarded by salons – a material made of microplastics and rarely recycled – and transformed it into a sustainable, handmade business that empowers women in her community. Her advice to other young entrepreneurs: “Fall in love with the problem, not the solution.”
Turkey: Young Innovators Build Water Filter from Household Waste
When news broke that water supply in their city Diyarbakır could run out in just 23 days, three high school students Yusuf, Cemre, and Öykü decided to take action. Their project PureFlow is a low-cost, reusable water filter made from an unexpected material: discarded mussel shells.
Nigeria: Joy’s Path to Merging Health and Technology
Sixteen-year-old Joy was studying Science Laboratory Technology when she discovered a passion for coding. Her journey took a new direction as she began building websites, and secured her first internship. Driven by her interest in science, Joy hopes to combine digital skills with hands-on knowledge to help improve healthcare outcomes in Nigeria.
Philippines: Training to Provide Care and Support their Peers
Students from Andres Bonifacio College in the Philippines formed AB.Colored, a youth-led group that champions inclusion and safe spaces. Through conversations on mental health and HIV, they nurture a culture of support, empathy, and understanding. With access to digital platforms and training courses, the group earned certificates that boosted their confidence and equipped them to lead peer support conversations and share life-saving information.
