Youth Stories of Overcoming: From Surviving to Thriving

Ila Malhotra Gregory is a facilitator, speaker, weaver and continually curious being. They have a background in youth activism, re-imagining systems and holding spaces for honest, meaningful discussion and self inquiry. Ila has spent the last two years co-creating curricula that teach personal and emotional awareness to other young people, and training teachers and staff members to facilitate this in their own settings. They are currently working on a spiritual ecology project, called Lifelines, that connects faith and community groups with farmers to plant and care for hedgerows. Their work with YouthxYouth explores the magic of holding space for diverse people and communities and inquires into how we might organise, in ways that are both effective and beautiful, by growing meaningful relationships with one another. Ila has a strong commitment to caring for the Earth and, in their work and in their own life, is exploring ways of being founded on reciprocity and relationality.

Jade Barnett is a Senior Member of the Young Peoples Action Group under the Mayor of London's Violence Reduction Unit, a Young Ambassador for Connected Futures, and a Youth Development Lead for the Prince's Trust. She is on a journey to become a full-time facilitator and advocate for a fair and ethical education system, reducing school exclusions, and investing in youth through sustainable resources and opportunities. She also raises awareness on the lack of support for Care Leavers and Looked After Children. Using her own experiences with street trauma, lack of support, and the education and care system, she inspires and motivates young people who may face similar disadvantages to strive for their dreams and aspirations. She hopes to lead workshops and use her voice to advocate for young people across London, developing a thriving organization that provides mentoring, resources, and tools for positive mindset and clear pathways to higher education and employment.

Nasma Aboubakary grew up in the Geita region of Tanzania and holds an International Development degree with distinction honors from Ardhi University, in Dar es Salaam. She is currently the co-founder and operation manager at QuantumX, a start-up company providing cybersecurity services and artificial intelligence solutions for businesses across Africa. Nasma is a strong advocate for gender equality, believing that all women deserve justice. In order to achieve a more just world for this vulnerable group, she believes it is necessary to actively engage in developing our social and political consciousness.