From Boston with love: a leg-up for local youth

John Andjaba is a Namibian scientist who, through his interest in break dancing, feels a vital connection with young people.
He works in the American pharmaceutical industry, developing better medicines, but he wants to give back to the youth of his home country.

So in February this year, working with a Ghanaian friend who heads the non-governmental organisation Peace First, Isaac Cudjoe, he launched the Namibian Youth Impact Fund to finance young Namibians who want to build their communities.

“It became clear to me that there was something important about doing something connected to where I am from,” Andjaba explains.

While he has spent years building his scientific career, he has also developed a deep connection with youth culture. In Indiana and

Massachusetts, he says he has long supported community development through local break-dancing communities.

“I’ve always been involved in youth spaces, including through creative and community-centred work, like dancing and mentoring young people through it in the Boston area,” he says.

The Namibian Youth Impact Fund, launched in February, aims to simply support young people at the beginning of their journey.

Rather than waiting for polished proposals or large-scale projects, the fund will provide small grants to help young Namibians test ideas, learn from them and grow.

The target group comprises those between the ages of 18 and 30 who are building ideas that strengthen their communities in education, healthcare, social cohesion, the environment and local opportunity.

What matters most, says Andjaba, is that they are led by young people who understand the core of their communities.

Through Peace First grantees will access guidance, tools, a broader learning ecosystem, and others in the same field. They will be connected to a global network of young change makers and receive support beyond money.

“It is about trust, dignity, and creating access where there has not always been much,” he says.

Cudjoe’s role in this initiative goes beyond logistics. For him, the cause is personal.

He believes loving people means caring about where they come from and what has shaped them. He says his friendship with Andjaba has reinforced the idea that when you meet one person you care about, you also encounter a much larger story and a wider community that deserves to be seen and valued.

Through Peace First, Cudjoe has spent years supporting young people in more than 168 countries. He has seen how geography can either open or close doors, and believes young people should not have to leave home to succeed.

The initial funding goal was modest: just over US$3 024 (close to N$50 000).

But he does not see that number as a ceiling, as the target has been surpassed, he says.

Grantees were to be selected and announced before the end of February.

The fund can grow as the community around it grows, Andjaba says.

It is designed to also create a pathway for Namibians in the diaspora and those at home with financial flexibility who want to give back in a structured, thoughtful way.

Instead of isolated donations, this model allows contributors to be part of a collective effort that is locally rooted and globally supported, he says.
– Anne Hambuda is a poet, writer, and social commentator. Follow her online or email her at annehambuda@gmail.com for more.

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