Nyabhan’s mission to empower her community
4 June 2025Nyabhan empowers other young people in crisis settings to lead and create change.
In the sweltering, dry heat of Gambella in Ethiopia, where temperatures often exceed 40°C, almost 400,000 refugees from South Sudan have sought shelter from violence since 2014. Nyabhan is one of them; she arrived ten years ago when she was nine years old.
Now aged 19, Nyabhan is an adolescent advisor with Plan International’s Adolescent Participation in Humanitarian Action programme. She works to empower young people in crisis settings to lead and create change.
“I want to become a leader in the future. When I first arrived in 2015, I didn’t think I could make a difference, but now I believe I can help others do the same.”
Nyabhan, 19.
Advocating for girls’ education
Nyabhan’s drive to make a difference began early on, when she observed that girls in her community were treated differently to boys. “I was only 10 years old,” she recalls. “I saw a girl being stopped from going to school, while boys were free to continue their education. This inspired me to take action to protect other girls from facing the same fate.”
However, she soon realised that change would not come easily. She noticed that many adults dismissed her concerns. “Parents didn’t recognise the value of girls’ education. They would make girls stay at home and do household chores while allowing boys to go to school,” she explains. It was these challenges that made her realise she would need to expand her knowledge and develop her skills if she wanted to make a difference.
“I joined a contest to promote girls’ education, where I encouraged other girls to go back to school. I believed that if I won the competition, I could set an example for others to follow.”
Her persistence paid off. She began to witness quiet girls finding their voices and standing up against the injustices they had endured.
The importance of role models
Having role models also played a pivotal role in shaping her vision. “Seeing women at the United Nations doing good things for humanity inspired me to take action and change my community too. If they can do it, then surely I can help save my community from inequality.”
Now, in her role as an adolescent adviser for the programme, Nyabhan is determined to drive even greater change. “I want to see fewer girls dropping out of school, and I want to tackle child, early and forced marriage. I also want to influence decision-makers to provide better support for adolescents and young people.”
Nyabhan is looking forward with optimism. “I want to become a leader in the future. When I first arrived in 2015, I didn’t think I could make a difference, but now I believe I can help others do the same.”
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