JA Alumni: Stories of Transformation and Impact
From Accra to Amsterdam, Singapore to Sao Paulo, and Miami to Marrakech, millions of JA alumni have built new ventures from the ground up, won election to the highest political offices, studied at leading universities, and invented products that have revolutionized industries. Millions more have built ethical and sustainable small businesses that help the world meet the challenges of the UN Global Goals for Sustainable Development. And millions of other JA alumni have achieved less well-known—but no less laudable—successes, like being the first in their families to graduate from college, spending less than they earn in order to save for retirement, and becoming respected and effective managers.
As a result of their JA experiences, our alumni start more companies, hire more employees, and produce significantly larger annual sales than ventures led by non-alumni. Our alumni also save more, hold less debt, and are less likely to spend more than they earn. JA alumni report higher levels of household income and career satisfaction. And they’re less likely to drop out of school, face unemployment, or collect social insurance.
These are their stories.
JA Alumni Sustainability Stories
— Featured Story —
Odyek Haron: From NEET to Entrepreneur
Odyek Haron dropped out of school at age 16 because his parents could not afford his school fees. In Uganda, where Odyek lives, an estimated 4.3 million young people, 41% of youth ages 18–29, are classified as NEET—not in education, employment, or vocational training. Seeking work to support himself and his family, Odyek began to learn brickmaking from a friend, a relationship that led him to an entrepreneurship bootcamp from the JA Africa and the Z Zurich Foundation.
Featured
Youth Voices Initiative
We’re thrilled to announce the launch of Youth Voices! Powered by JA Worldwide, Cortico, MIT Center for Constructive Communication (CCC), and Accenture, Youth Voices is a collection of firsthand experiences from 100+ JA Worldwide students and alumni across 45+ countries.
Sort by insight, region, or conversation; read about the process; and find out more about the project at youthvoices.org.
More Stories from Around the World
Alumni and Student Stories
