Campaigning for world leaders to act on climate change since she was 15 years old.
Mohamad grew up in Syria. He lived what many might consider a ‘normal’ childhood – his mother and father both had jobs, they had a house and a car and he spent his days going to school, making friends and having fun. But when Mohamad was 10 years old, a civil war broke out within his country and his life changed. Some people in Syria, including Mohamad’s mother, started protesting to remove the government because they felt the government did not give them enough freedom and privacy.
Before long, the war was happening next to Mohamad’s hometown and his mother was arrested and held by the police twice for actively speaking out about her views. One day Mohamad’s family received a letter saying they had two choices: to stay in their hometown and risk being killed by the government or to leave Syria. Overnight, Mohamad and his family fled to Lebanon. They left everything behind – their friends, family, toys, clothes and other belongings.
Life in Lebanon was safer, but Mohamad’s parents couldn’t find jobs and they started to run out of money. So Mohamad’s father had to move to Sweden to get a job and earn money for the family. Mohamad, his mother and his sister stayed in a refugee camp in Lebanon. Mohamad felt as though he had lost his life – he had left his friends behind, his father had to move to Sweden and he could no longer go to school. Instead of accepting his situation, Mohamad decided to make a change.
He teamed up with his mother and sister and they started a school under a tent in the refugee camp. Mohamad taught Maths and English to the children. He also decided to share his love of photography with the children by creating a photography club. Not only did the club bring out other children’s love for photography and creativity, but it also encouraged self-expression. Mohamad said, ‘There are a lot of refugee kids who are too shy to talk but not too shy to take a picture. So the picture can tell a hundred words – a picture of home, a picture of happiness, a picture of a better future.’
A few years later, what had started as a school in a tent became a real school building staffed with formal teachers and attended by 200 children, changing the lives of so many refugee children. Mohamad used his experiences and knowledge of the situation, along with his personal skills, to do what he could to improve the lives of others. He said, ‘The future is unknown, so I’m focussing on what I can do now.’
Campaigning for access to clean water for Canada’s indigenous communities since she was 8 years old.
Raising awareness of the effects of the Syrian civil war and calling for peace since she was 6 years old.
Challenging the representation of girls and women in society since she was 11 years old.
Running a marathon in 10 days to raise money for homeless people when he was 7 years old.
Fundraising for the farmers whose incomes have been affected by drought in Australia since he was 11 years old.
Inspiring girls to learn about and aspire to work in science and technology subjects since she was 16 years old.
Creating and growing a bank that helps children save money by recycling since he was 12 years old.
Designing technology to supply electricity and water without emitting greenhouse gases since he was 15 years old.
Campaigning for the banning of plastic bags in Bali since they were 10 and 12 years old.
Designing a solar powered ironing cart to reduce charcoal burning in India since she was 12 years old.
Petitioning for schools to give children reusable water bottles since he was 7 years old.
Campaigning for people and businesses to stop using single-use plastics since they were 10 and 12 years old.
Set up organisations supporting cancer patients, people in poverty, and promoting golf in young black girls, since she was 10 years old.
Saving the lives of hundreds of hedgehogs in the UK since they were 9 years old.
Campaigning to promote proper battery disposal and recycling since he was 10 years old.
Campaigning for people and businesses to stop using single-use plastics since they were 10 and 12 years old.
The world’s youngest sustainability advocate – working to make the world a better place since she was 3 years old.
Solving the problem of water contamination using science and technology since she was 11 years old.
