Name: Fatoumata Diallo
Age: 17
School: Humble High School
What year were you an active member of YWLC? 2014-present
What was your biggest takeaway and how has it impacted your life?
My biggest takeaway from The Pangea Network was the ability to broaden my perspective on global issues involving women and the realization that there are so many women in the world who are denied of their simple human rights or uneducated about their human rights. This has changed my life in a tremendous way. It has allowed me to learn that in my future, I would like to become a global women’s and children’s rights activist and a big advocate for education. The Pangea Network has shown me that education is not only the key, but it is also the shield towards any obstacle that one may face and with it one can persevere through anything.
What is your favorite thing about YWLC?
My favorite thing about YWLC is the fact that it allows us, the young women in America to learn about the different life standards between us and our fellow women and children in Kenya as well as around the world. It also gave us tools to come out in our own community to help the young women there. I believe that by giving us these tools, we aren’t only helping the girls in our community, but we are also expanding the information that we learned at camp. We are now helping more girls become aware of what they can do to demand change.
Tell us about some of your most recent successes!
The confidence I gained at YWLC and through The Pangea Network allowed me to come out into my own community and start Humble’s Young Women’s Leadership Club. Starting this club has been a very exciting for me because I now feel that I am able to expand and carry on Pangea’s message. Pangea’s YWLC has now traveled to the middle school by my high school. The middle school principal liked the message of The Pangea Network which is why he agreed to add it as a club in the school.
Attending YWLC also encouraged me to attend my district’s board meeting and request them to add a Financial Literacy class into the high school curriculum. I learned at YWLC, that it is essential for not only women but also for young adults to know how to manage their money. After speaking with my board members, they agreed to look into it and will add it in the next few years.
Recently, my partner, Rhoda Oladapo and I raised $667 USD to help Sheila attend school. Doing this project was a life-changing experience for us both. We felt good knowing that we were helping someone of our own age group receive something that many in America take for granted.
The opportunity I was given to be able to learn about The Pangea Network has allowed me to find my inner passion of helping women and children and advocating the importance of education. I am glad to have immersed myself into this network of strong, positive, impactful, and very courageous women.
