Joy Nwaeze has reached 60,000 people with a simple idea: waste is a lesson, not an ending

Joy Nwaeze, a Nigerian climate policy advocate, started small in 2019 — bringing volunteers together at a youth leadership service event to teach students about climate change and responsible waste disposal. In 2021 she founded Africa Upcycle Community, a nonprofit that now runs waste-management, climate-education and clean-water and hygiene programmes across Africa, and has reached more than 60,000 people. She also works with women and young people, helping them gain skills and a say in decisions affecting their communities. Named Opportunity Desk's Young Person of the Month for November 2026, she aims to reach another 4,000 people by 2027 — while naming funding as the honest obstacle in the way.

SDG 13 · Climate action — Mechanism: community action