Transformative Projects Led by Youth
Discover how Young Leaders creates real impact through innovative grassroots projects focused on social justice, sustainability, and community empowerment.
Basic Sanitation Project
In Brazil, over 4 million households still lack access to a private bathroom, according to IBGE data (2022). The situation is even more severe in rural areas and traditional communities, where basic sanitation infrastructure has long been neglected. This lack of access contributes to serious public health issues, environmental degradation, and social exclusion. In many places - such as the quilombola communities of Sobral and Itarema, in the state of Ceará, Brazil - families live in clay houses (taipa) without access to toilets or proper waste treatment.
Category: Environmental Innovation
Region: Northeast Brazil
Recognition: Genius Olympiad, CIENCAP
Innovation & Community Response
In response to the urgent need, the Jovens Líderes (Young Leaders) project implemented low-cost ecological sanitation systems, including composting dry toilets and BET bio-septic tanks, tailored to the local context. These actions not only provided families with dignity and safety but also promoted sanitary education, basic health, environmental care, and youth empowerment, with community engagement at the core.
The sanitation project by Jovens Líderes was selected for the Genius Olympiad in New York, standing out in the field of environmental innovation. In the same year, the initiative was also accredited at the CIENCAP – Youth Scientific Congress in Paraguay, receiving technical recognition for its impact on youth, education, and sustainability.
Expansion & Global Recognition
In 2024, the project was awarded R$ 50,000 in international funding through the Youth Climate Action Fund, a global initiative supporting youth-led environmental action. With this support, Jovens Líderes expanded its sanitation initiatives to new communities, trained young local multipliers, and reinforced its territorial outreach, all with a focus on climate justice and social equity.
Awards and Impact with the Youth Climate Action Fund
Thanks to the Youth Climate Action Fund, Jovens Líderes significantly expanded its basic sanitation efforts, reaching new traditional and underserved communities in the Brazilian Northeast. The funding enabled the construction of additional eco-friendly bathrooms, the training of local multipliers, and the strengthening of territorial engagement—guided by principles of climate justice, equity, and dignity.
One of the most powerful examples of this impact is Dona Regina, a community member who received an ecological bathroom through the project. Her story reflects the tangible transformation that youth-led action can bring to families historically excluded from public infrastructure and health policies.
Real Change from the Ground Up
Through this initiative, Jovens Líderes not only promotes sustainable development but also uplifts local voices. With determination and collective effort, the project transforms wind, water, and willpower into tools for real and lasting change.
Nativos Kite: Sports as a Pathway to Dignity and Peace
In Brazil, over 30,000 teenagers are apprehended every year—many recruited by criminal factions due to the lack of access to education, culture, and opportunity, especially in rural areas.
To change this reality, the Young Leaders project created Nativos Kite in 2023, offering free kite surfing lessons to vulnerable youth on Ilha do Guajiru (Itarema, CE). More than a sport, it’s a tool for transformation, fostering local identity, leadership, and new life perspectives away from crime.
The project also includes training in ecotourism, sustainability workshops, and environmental actions focused on dunes and mangrove preservation—generating eco-conscious income and empowering traditional culture.
With full sports kits, uniforms, and volunteer instructors, Nativos Kite reaches youth historically excluded from public policies, using sport to promote peace and dignity in underserved communities.