Isaya Yunge, 17, spoke at a G8 Summit in Berlin in 2007, sharing his thoughts on Africa’s challenges with world leaders. He was chosen to speak as a UNICEF Africa Youth Ambassador.
Yunge mentioned that poor governance in Africa can stem from political issues, sometimes caused by the people or leaders themselves. He was born in Africa and had experienced many of the continent’s problems firsthand.
Before speaking at the G8 Summit, Yunge had already been involved in public life. In 2006, he was elected chairperson of the Junior Council of the United Republic of Tanzania.
His background is notable, having grown up with his grandmother and spent time herding livestock and working on rice farms.
He later studied at the Institute of Finance Management, earning a bachelor’s degree. He also took courses on leading change at the University of Cambridge and studied sustainable business models at the Swedish Institute.
Yunge has focused on technology and empowering young people. He co-founded SomaApps Technologies and is its CEO. The company created SomaApp, a mobile tool that helps African students find scholarships.
His work has been recognized multiple times. In 2018, Queen Elizabeth II presented him with the Queen’s Young Leaders Award for using technology to create sustainable community solutions.
Forbes Africa also included him in their 30 Under 30 list that year. In 2019, he was recognized as one of Tanzania’s 50 most influential young people.
His engagement to Charlene Ruto has brought his story to wider attention in Kenya. The video of his G8 Summit speech shows how he started making an impact internationally while still a teenager.