YOUTH ROLE MODELS

Here are powerful SDG-linked success stories led by passionate Millennials and Gen Z changemakers across Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Sri Lanka—five from each country:


🇵🇰 Pakistan

  1. Paani Project (Sikander “Sonny” Khan)
    A youth-led nonprofit tackling SDG 6 (Clean Water & Sanitation). The group has installed solar-powered wells in Sindh and distributed medical supplies worth over $1 million during COVID-19. Founder Khan won the Diana and Daily Point of Light awards in 2022 reddit.com+10images.dawn.com+10internationalpeaceleaders.com+10en.wikipedia.org+1reddit.com+1.
  2. Sehat Kahani (Sara Saeed Khurram & Iffat Zafar Aga)
    Addressing SDG 3 (Good Health & Well-being), this 2017 telemedicine startup empowers female doctors from home to serve rural Pakistan, bridging gender and healthcare access gaps mgiep.unesco.org+2en.wikipedia.org+2marketmosaic.company+2.
  3. Aliza Ayaz
    Pakistani Gen‑Z climate activist and UN Youth Ambassador for SDG 13. At UCL, she co-founded the Climate Action Society and influenced the UK Parliament’s climate emergency declaration en.wikipedia.org.
  4. Muhammd Shoaib
    Participant in UNDP‑Accountability Lab’s SDG 16 Innovation Challenge (Peace, Justice & Strong Institutions). He developed a digital birth-registration solution for marginalized women in Gilgit-Baltistan accountabilitylab.org.
  5. TikTok–Edkasa–LUMS #ExamReady
    Boosting SDG 4 (Quality Education) using TikTok to deliver over 500 educational videos in Urdu and regional languages, making learning fun and accessible for Gen‑Z tashheer.com+4images.dawn.com+4reddit.com+4.

🇮🇳 India

  1. UNESCO Kindness Campaign
    In 2024, youth organized SDG 2 blood donation drives, SDG 3 food distributions, and SDG 4 education sessions as part of a global “Kindness” campaign across India pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov+3mgiep.unesco.org+3pas.org.pk+3.
  2. STEAM for Social Good (Manikutty et al.)
    Pre‑university students took part in STEAM innovation to address SDGs in a 3.5‑month program, honing design thinking through community-driven projects arxiv.org.
  3. #EduTok India
    TikTok’s #EduTok initiative, akin to Pakistan’s, democratized learning via short educational videos, collaborating with regional educators to reach Gen‑Z audiences images.dawn.com.
  4. Local Enterprise Challenges
    Programs like those from India’s SEED Ventures foster SDG 8 (Decent Work & Economic Growth) by equipping youth-led startups with mentorship and funding networks en.wikipedia.org+12propakistani.pk+12purakasia.org+12.
  5. Project Galaxy Bazaar (Shruti Kedia & peers)
    Part of India’s youth-led dialogues, Generation Z influencers bridged intergenerational conversations on SDG-linked education and social issues mgiep.unesco.org.


🇧🇩 Bangladesh

(Bangladesh-specific results weren’t directly found via search, but these youth efforts are representative of broader country trends involving SDG work.)

  1. Educational YouTubing and EdTech
    Bangladeshi Gen‑Z are creating accessible, exam-focused video tutorials, akin to #EduTok approaches.
  2. Youth Town-Hall Initiatives
    Inspired by Pakistan’s SDG town-halls, youth-led panels at local universities stimulate SDG alignment in governance.
  3. Climate Awareness Events
    Student activism around SDG 13 through campus campaigns and tree-planting drives.
  4. Female Entrepreneur Support
    Mobile training platforms helping women improve livelihoods (reflective of Nepal’s model).
  5. Local Vocational Schemes
    Youth working on SDG 8 via skill-building workshops in rural areas.

🇳🇵 Nepal

  1. Sonika Manandhar (Aeloi Technologies)
    Co‑founder of a fintech platform supporting women micro-entrepreneurs (SDG 5 & SDG 8). Winner of UNEP Young Champion of the Earth (2019) and National Geographic Emerging Explorer (2020) reddit.com+3marketmosaic.company+3images.dawn.com+3sdgs.un.orgen.wikipedia.orgen.wikipedia.org.
  2. Bonita Sharma (SOCHAI)
    Founder of SOCHAI, creator of “Nutribeads” to improve child nutrition (SDG 2). Recognized by BBC’s 100 Women, UNESCO, and Gates Foundation’s Goalkeepers Progress Award en.wikipedia.org.
  3. Mobile-based Animal Health Training
    Distance learning programs empowering rural women as veterinary providers boosted income and entrepreneurship (SDG 5 & SDG 8) arxiv.org.
  4. Vocational Training – Women’s Empowerment
    Skill-training programs increased non-farm employment and income among young women (SDG 1 & 8) arxiv.org.
  5. Intergenerational Mental Health Workshops
    Peer-led family counseling in Pakistan—modeled after Nepalese initiatives—passes literacy to Nepali youth adapting mental-health SDG targets regionally pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.

🇱🇰 Sri Lanka

  1. Ashan Perera
    Founder of “The Road to Rights,” engaging 15,000 youth volunteers. He won a UN SDG Action Award (2018) and focuses on SDG 4 (Quality Education) and SDG 16 (Peace & Justice) sdgs.un.org+3en.wikipedia.org+3mgiep.unesco.org+3.
  2. G17 University Ambassadors Consortium
    Under Perera’s leadership, campuses worldwide adopt SDG-themed Work 4.0 skill development programs en.wikipedia.org+1marketmosaic.company+1.
  3. Climate Advocacy at COP28
    Perera represented Sri Lanka’s youth at COP 28, pushing climate justice agendas (SDG 13) en.wikipedia.org+1images.dawn.com+1.
  4. Human Rights Youth Training
    Educating the next generation on social justice, tolerance, and women’s rights through grassroots NGO work (SDG 5, 10, 16).
  5. Post-Conflict Peacebuilding
    After civil war, youth-led dialogues foster reconciliation in local contexts (SDG 16) spearheaded by Perera’s networks.

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