Upskilling Young Africans to Make Positive Change

Callis is a Graduate of the Ashinaga Africa Initiative (AAI) and Keio University in Japan, where she studied Agricultural Development under the Faculty of Environment and Information Studies.

Having lost her parents at a young age, Callis was raised by her aunt in Cameroon’s Northwest Region just as political tensions escalated into violent conflict in 2016. The crisis severely disrupted education: schools were repeatedly closed, and students risked harassment or violence simply for attending class. Callis and her classmates often avoided wearing uniforms to stay safe, sitting for national exams amid fear and uncertainty. Experiencing how quickly education could be taken away shaped her determination to ensure other young people would not face the same barriers.

That determination led her to co-found Providence Action four years ago, an initiative dedicated to expanding access to quality education for students in conflict-affected communities. What began with support for 13 students has now grown to 25 students currently enrolled in the program, receiving access to school, learning resources, mentorship, and renewed hope. For Callis, Providence Action is about empowering young people to believe in their potential and lead change in their own communities.

While her work began with education, her vision extends further. During her time in Japan, Callis volunteered at a community farm in Fujisawa, where she saw how agriculture, education, and community collaboration could intersect to create a sustainable impact. Working alongside Japanese farmers and engaging with local schoolchildren, she experienced firsthand how structured agricultural systems and shared learning could strengthen communities. “In Japan, I saw how organized and collaborative agricultural systems can be,” she says. “I want to bring that spirit back home.”

Callis’s future ambition is to establish a structured agricultural hub in Cameroon where young people receive practical training, business support, and mentorship to launch and grow large-scale agricultural enterprises. She aims to move beyond small farming ventures and empower youth to build businesses capable of supplying both African and international markets. Drawing on her experience in Japan and relationships with Japanese

companies, she also hopes to strengthen agricultural partnerships between Cameroon and Japan while positioning Africa’s young population and rich resources as drivers of global food production.

Your support makes journeys like Callis’s possible. By investing in young leaders today, you are helping expand access to education, strengthen local innovation, and cultivate sustainable change across Africa.

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