Rubbish

When he was just 16, Delhi-based student Aditya Mukarji decided to make it his mission to go door-to-door, campaigning against what he describes as “one of the most dangerous inventions by man”: single-use plastic. In the two years that followed, Mukarji, now 18, has stopped the use of over 26 million single-use plastic items — plastic straws, plastic cutlery and stirrers — in hotels and restaurants. As co-founder of The Alternatives, he even ensures that the establishments he works with give him an inventory of the single-use plastic items they have stopped buying.

"Young people are not the leaders of tomorrow - they are the leaders of TODAY." This is what I aim to embody as an argent youth, health advocate and a medical student.Amidst the Covid-19 pandemic, the entire world saw the devastating effects of a lack of health preparedness in the community. I realized that to circumvent future health issues, health education needs to be integrated into our life at a young age - creating a more health-engaged next generation. Thus, I set out on a mission to create change. Now, at the age of 22 years old, I am the CEO and Founder of Body Buddies, an official, globally recognised social enterprise that sells soft toys in the shapes of organs to promote health to youth. Body Buddies is an initiative with a strong educational and philanthropic mission. They donate 50% of profits to Transplant Australia, their partner charity. More than the toys itself, I wanted to ensure that education was at the heart of every endeavor and product created by Body Buddies. Thus, the toys all come with a complimentary educational booklet. These booklets are curated by our unique and renowned team of over 30 medical professionals across Victoria. Less than 2 years out from initiation, Body Buddies has received critical acclaim. Body Buddies won 7 News Young Achiever Vic Award and the New Retail Business 2022. Moreover, it has sold over 6000 products from both in person events/stands and via its eCommerce platform and raised over $15,000 for Transplant Australia. Moreover, Body Buddies has received praise from the medical community. It is now available in person in several pharmacies, medical centres across Victoria as well as in large state hospitals: Austin Hospital and Sunshine Hospital. Body Buddies use their resources to conduct successful social justice campaigns including the “Break the Stigma” social media campaign.Over the years, I was also awarded the City of Melbourne Young Melburnian of the Year 2020, 40 Under 40 Most Influential Australian Asians 2020, Multicultural Award of Excellence by the Victorian Government 2020. Body Buddies also won the 7 News Young Achievers Award and Australian Small Business Champion New Retail Business Award 2022. I was also crowned as a ‘Covid Hero’ in 2020 and my photo was displayed on the State Library of Victoria during the Melbourne Christmas Festival.But more than the awards, I am truly grateful for the impact I could have so far as a young leader. Another incredibly proud moment for me was when I was appointed as a Board Member on the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority. I am the youngest Australian selected for a governmental board in history. I am also the only ethnic representation and first Indian to sit on this education board. VCAA’s headquarters not only exists in Melbourne, but their curriculum dictates education across the entire state of Victoria. Every Victorian school and all their students are encompassed by this governmental body. So, my achievement has had a direct impact on all Victorian Youth. My position was nationally recognised when I was displayed on the front-page article of “The Age” newspaper! More than this, I enjoy meeting new people and represnting my country on an international scale. I have spolen on panels at national conferences (National Youth Futures Summit 2022/2021), attended the Youth Assembly 2020 in New York, attending the GenGeo International Conference by National Geographic 2020. Not only did I aim to support all Victorian students and ensure equal access to adequate education during the pandemic, i also directly reached out to the south Asian community. I conducted several interviews with SBS Punjabi (https://www.sbs.com.au/language/english/audio/first-student-rep-in-curriculum-body-to-push-for-global-issues-in-education), SBS Hindi (https://www.sbs.com.au/language/english/audio/victorian-curriculum-and-assessment-authority-will-support-final-year-students) and A1 TV Channels and Radios in order to raise awareness about the impacts of covid19 on the education system. And last but not least - I am a passionate academic currently completing a Doctor of Medicine at the University of Melbourne. I hope to continue helping people in my life through every aspect of my career.

In 2019, Gatheru, the daughter of Kenyan immigrants, made national news as the first Black person to receive the Rhodes, Truman and Udall scholarships. She is the founder and executive director of Black Girl Environmentalist, a national organization dedicated to addressing the pathway and retention issue for Black girls and women in the climate sector. With 800+ members and a digital community of over 40,000, BGE is one of the largest Black youth-led organizations in the country.Read Less

Tamara Dewi Gondo is the CEO of Liberty Society, a social enterprise that manufactures and sells eco-friendly business-to-business merchandise to fund the upskilling of marginalised women in Indonesia. With its tailoring and entrepreneurship training, the organisation has empowered 200 refugee women living in Indonesia by developing their skills and their fashion education.Liberty Society has also worked with more than 100 companies, including global brands Samsung, Ikea, and H&M, as part of the organisation. In 2021, Liberty Society received the United Nations Women Indonesia’s Women Empowerment Principles Award and was in the top four in the World’s Youth Ecopreneur Award.

Growing up in India and having personal experience with cancer and mental illness, Swetha founded ‘The Lalitha Foundation', It has supported over 3000 cancer patients and caregivers in India, through psychotherapy. Having raised over 2,00,000 INR, they were able to provide patients from marginalized backgrounds with provided free treatment/counselling and follow-ups. A whooping 84% of all patients showed up at follow-up consultations, and a remarkable 72% of them showed significant psychological improvement. In light of COVID-19, they launched a healthcare resources app in collaboration with the Clinton Foundation and a US-based non-profit, that has been used by over 200,000 individuals across India.

Stanley Anigbogu is the Founder and CEO of LightEd, a Clean Energy company dedicated to transforming electronic and plastic waste into sustainable energy solutions and products for off-grid communities. Growing up in Nigeria, Stanley experienced firsthand the challenges of energy poverty. With a background in design and technology, Stanley has developed innovative solar-powered systems that provide reliable electricity to off-grid communities in Africa. Under his leadership, LightEd has positively impacted over 15,000 people and improved educational outcomes for 3,000 students through its solar lamps and charging stations.