When 17-year-old Amina Yusuf first walked into a DGSF community workshop in Northern Nigeria, many saw just another timid girl from a displaced family. Soft-spoken, unsure, and without any formal education background, no one believed she had the potential to lead — not even Amina herself.
But everything changed the day she was handed a notepad, a voice, and a chance.
The Stigma of Silence
Growing up in an underserved rural community and later in an Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp, Amina was told that her place was behind the scenes — helping out, staying quiet, and letting the boys take the lead.
Her dreams of leading a team, running a project, or speaking on a stage were dismissed as “not for girls like you.”
But at DGSF, we see leaders before they see themselves.
The Turning Point: A Workshop That Sparked a Fire
In 2023, Amina joined one of DGSF’s Youth Empowerment Bootcamps. She signed up for a leadership session reluctantly — only because a friend insisted. During that session, she hesitantly shared her thoughts on how to improve waste disposal in the camp. Her ideas were bold, simple, and actionable.
Instead of being shut down, she was encouraged to lead a team to test the idea.
That was the beginning.
From Volunteer to Visionary
Over the next few months, Amina:
✅ Led a sanitation awareness project across 3 blocks in the IDP camp.
✅ Mobilized 20 youth volunteers to work with her, many of them older boys.
✅ Secured donations of gloves, tools, and cleaning supplies through DGSF’s support.
✅ Coordinated community meetings to create a long-term waste management plan.
✅ Mentored other girls to join and take on leadership roles.
The Impact Is Loud and Clear
Today, Amina is not just leading — she’s inspiring.
Her volunteer team has grown into a self-organized youth task force tackling hygiene, gender-based violence awareness, and literacy classes in her community. Under her coordination, they’ve reached over 600 young people in just under 8 months.
What once seemed impossible is now unstoppable.
What Made the Difference?
It wasn’t magic. It was access + encouragement + mentorship — three core pillars of DGSF’s youth development model:
🔹 Access:
We gave Amina the tools — training, support, and a platform.
🔹 Encouragement:
She was told “You can” instead of “You shouldn’t.”
🔹 Mentorship:
We connected her with women leaders who guided her steps and celebrated her progress.
Amina’s Message to the World
“I didn’t know I had a voice. DGSF helped me find it. Now I want every girl to know — leadership is not about your background; it’s about your heart.”
💡 Imagine If We Could Reach 100 More Aminas
Girls like Amina are everywhere — in slums, rural schools, IDP camps, and underserved towns. They are brilliant, bold, and waiting for a chance. At Dom Global Support Foundation, we are committed to uncovering these hidden stars and giving them the opportunity to shine.
✅ You Can Be Part of Her Story
📌 Sponsor a girl like Amina
📌 Donate to our youth leadership fund
📌 Volunteer as a mentor or trainer
📌 Share this story to inspire change
Let the world know: Girls can lead. Youth can transform. All they need is someone to believe.
#DGSFImpact #GirlLeaders #YouthInAction #FromDreamsToLeadership #SupportTheNextAmina
