Atika Shafa

Dear Atika,

Hope this email finds you well!

My name is Sunny Gao, and it is a pleasure to meet you. I am a graduate student at Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies (Washington DC, USA). I am working with a team of students to understand the best models for providing education, health, and employment services to youth in an integrated way. Our research has a regional focus on Kenya. My team wants to speak to youth like you to understand how you access services now and to hear your recommendations on how services could be easier to access or more coordinated in the future. Are you interested in participating in a brief discussion about how you access education, health, employment, and financial services in your community? Your participation in the conversation would be voluntary; however, it is an exciting opportunity to share your ideas. Please let me know if you are interested in participating or any questions you may have. 

We plan to conduct the focus group discussion as soon as possible! Your participation is precious to us!
My email address is pgao10@jhu.edu 
 I look forward to hearing from you!

Sincerely,
Sunny

Hi Atika,

Have you heard about YouthLead’s new #WatchOurImpact Campaign? I am an intern working with YouthLead this summer and I wanted to personally reach out to you about the contest because I think you would be a perfect candidate to submit an entry given your involvement in your community and passion for making the world a better place! 

The #WatchOurImpact Campaign, launched on June 7 in partnership with GenU and USAID, aims to showcase the power of youth to impact change in their communities. Entering the campaign entails submitting an original, three-minute video or slideshow in Arabic, English, French, or Spanish that tells the story of your actions to advance local, national, or global development. The story you tell can be personal, that of a group of young changemakers, or that of a youth-led organization. 

Entering is easy — here’s how:

1. Create a three-minute video or slideshow that meets the contest requirements.

2. Upload your video or slideshow to YouTube.

3. Fill out the submission form. You must be a member of YouthLead.org to submit, but registration is free.

4. Encourage your friends and network to vote for your submission on social media by sharing the link once it’s posted on the #WatchOurImpact Contest Video Gallery page and by using #WatchOurImpact.

Here are some how-to videos and examples to get you started. What might you want to highlight? Have you helped promote mask wearing and social distancing in your community during the pandemic? Have you developed an after school program for young people? Have you started a small business? These are just a few examples to get you started, but there are countless others to choose from. What do you want to showcase from the important work you’ve been doing?

The work you’ve done in your community deserves to be highlighted. Please consider entering the #WatchOurImpact Campaign to show the world how you have made a difference! Submissions will be accepted until July 23.  If you have any questions or concerns about the Campaign or how to enter, do not hesitate to reach out. I would be more than happy to help!

Sincerely,

Miriam