Fighting poverty is a prime objective of Colombian entrepreneur Felipe Vergara. His approach is to support education, which is why he founded the Lumni scholarship network. Corporations invested so that young people with no means can go to college. Once they’ve found a good job, they can pay back the scholarship.

Watch this DW video for more.

In Pakistan, being a school teacher is looked down on. But that doesn’t stop 24-year-old Farrukh from following his passion and teaching kids from some of the country’s most socially disadvantaged areas.

Listen to the report by Haya Fatimah Iqbal in Karachi, Pakistan:

Pakistani teacher sacrifices respect to help kids in need

Columbian rapper Diana Avella has made a successful career for herself challenging gender stereotypes. Now, through her hip hop music, she is inspiring young girls to do the same. Through a network she runs, Diana is helping young girls achieve the same self-confidence she has. Watch this DW video to hear Diana’s story.

Jay, 28, is passionate about preserving traditional African dance – and about watching out for the street kids in the impoverished city of Accra. She and her husband Nii, a drummer, have founded a dancing troupe whose purpose is not only to spread West African dance theater but also to improve local children’s lives.

In James Town, a poor neighborhood of Accra, children are likely to wander around all day among garbage and open sewage and have little chance to go to school, since their families cannot afford to send them and to buy them what they need. Through their artistic performances abroad and their music and dance workshops in Accra, Jay and Nii were able to raise enough money to give 50 kids a safe place on the seaside where they can play and study without leaving their neighborhood and their families.

The center was opened in 2007 and, since then, they have built a shed for outdoor activities, a dormitory for kids who can stay with them during the academic year and a classroom. Within their means, they provide them with school uniforms, school supplies and books. Jay recently became a mother herself, and her baby girl is the 51st child she cares for.

Listen to the report by Gaia Manco:

Ghanaian choreographer looks after street children

In this picture, reporter Gaia Manco is filming with with her little helpers, some of the kids that live at the shelter. Among them is Steven, an 8-year-old boy that came toward her and my husband when they were walking on the beach of James Town. Despite being a beautiful spot in the oldest area of Accra, the beach is currently degraded – and used as a public toilet and a dump. Steven said with pride, “Come and see where I live.” Jay said she was so proud that a boy who could barely speak when they met him was able to politely address strangers in English. While all the rest of the kids fought to be in front of the camera, Steven stayed behind Gaia. He wants to become a director one day.

Read more about Jay and Nii’s foundation here.

Human rights activist Muna Abu Sulayman and Kuwaiti psychologist and writer Naif Al-Mutawa, are part of the Young Global Leaders network. They were appointed by the World Economic Forum to help make the world a better place and in this video they share their views on education, culture, religion and human rights. Watch this DW video to hear their views.

High up in the Andes, a new climate project called “Valley and earth for our children” is teaching young village children how to grow plants and get to know Mother Nature and how to better protect her. The young woman who founded the program in northern Chile allocates each child with his or her own small plot of land on which they have free rein to plant and design as they see fit. The young climate campaigners are already planting trees for their next big project – a forest for children. Watch this DW video to see how.

How many times have you donated blood? A young man in Nigeria is so concerned about saving lives that he co-founded Club 25, enouraging others to donate blood 25 times before their 25th birthday. Women in childbirth are in particular need of fresh blood transfusions.

Listen to the report by Nonye Aghaji in Abuja, Nigeria:

Nigerian gives blood to save lives

Milena Nikolic was born in the Bosnian town of Srebrenica, a place once known for its mineral springs and silver mines. Today the place is notorious as the scene of a massacre of 8,000 Bosnian Muslims by Serbian paramilitaries.

After leaving school, Milena became a social worker. Today she runs a youth club in her home town and tries to persuade young people not to leave. She believes the economic independence of Srebrenica can best be achieved through green tourism and organic farming. She also wants to revive the old mineral springs, but she faces resistance from the political elite.

Watch this DW video to find out more about how this young woman is trying to bring back life to a change in a town ruined by violence.

Santosh from Nepal has a heart for kids living in homes, many of them trafficking victims. He brought them something completely new: a library.

Listen to the report by Aletta André:

The participation of women in agricultural work is by no means a common sight in Bangladesh. Women take care of their families in this male-dominated society and usually don’t appear in public. But Bangladesh, one of the world’s poorest countries and one of the hardest hit by global warming, needs the support of women to fight and adapt to climate change. Soils with high salt levels are incapable of producing good harvests. Droughts or floods often worsen the situation. Women in southeastern Bangladesh are now using particularly robust rice and vegetable varieties to ensure plentiful harvests, a part of which they can sell to make extra money. Bangladeshi aid group Centre for Global Change is now making that possible with the robust rice project.