Page 8 - BPWUK - E-news - Edition 106 - October 2022

The article below was written by Rafath Gnabode who is a
Young member of BPW in New York following her attendance
at the Youth Assembly this year. Rafath is from Benin Republic
and she moved to New York when she was nine years old. Now
at 19 she is a student at City College of New York where she is
pursuing a degree in International Relations with Economics.
Rafath is currently doing a semester abroad at Roehampton
University. She intends to participate in BPW UK events and
activities until she leaves in January.

Rafath, on the right,
and friends

It was an immense pleasure to have the opportunity to attend the Youth Assembly
this year. This was my first time ever attending the Youth Assembly with AFS and I
would say it was an amazing experience. The first day of the Youth Assembly was
August 12th which was International Youth day. The location was at the United Na-
tions Headquarters where countless Youths gathered from all over the world. I had
the opportunity to learn more about the amazing work that youths are accomplish-
ing in their home countries. I was also able to have a conversation with these said
people on their projects and how they came about. I met people with so much wis-
dom, passion, empathy, and drive to make the world a better place. Being able to
see people who are around the same age as me taking on huge projects and having
such a great influence on people’s lives was without a doubt incredible. I learned
about the importance of the youth of today leading and being part of decision-
making. I’m now more than ever driven to put my ideas and plans into action. In
addition to the amazing youths I met, I’ve also made connections with amazing well-
known staff of organizations, programs, and corporations. I believe that with them
on our side, we’ll be able to achieve so much and greatly impact people. I was also
influenced by the work they’re each doing in their respective organizations. During
the following 2 days of the Youth Assembly, we attended sessions, opportunities
fairs, and more. Something I learned during these days is the steps I can take to-
ward tackling Sustainable Developments Goals. As youths, sometimes we’re not
sure how to make our voices heard and what actions we can take to tackle issues
rampant in our community. I was able to learn from the youths and staff about the
actions I can take and the works I can do in my community to achieve the goal of
SDGs and other issues I’m passionate about. From my experience at the 27th Youth
Assembly, I believe that young leaders are the future. Young people in the lead are
without a doubt needed more now than ever. We have the power to change the
world and it’s time we believe so.

Thank you,
Rafath Gnabode