British Council Namibia was proud when a young Namibian, Elsabe van Vuuren, was selected as one of six Global Changemakers to attend the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland this year.

The Global Changemakers project aims to develop young activists into future community leaders. It operates across Africa, Asia, Europe and North and South America and works with people aged between 16 and 19 who are confident, assertive, flexible, outgoing and active in their communities.

Van Vuuren (17), a junior mayor in Namibia’s capital, Windhoek, fits the criteria. She was keen to join the British Council’s InterAction leadership programme but was too young, so the Changemakers project is ideal for her.

‘I am a doer. I am currently working with AIDS orphanages in Namibia. I don’t just want to complain about problems – I want to lend a helping hand and walk the path with those who need help,’ she says.

She was selected from 60 Changemakers who gathered in Guildford in the United Kingdom, recently, to represent the group at Davos, where world business and government leaders meet annually.

Her selection came as a surprise to her, but ‘it opened my eyes to the fact if you are yourself, people accept you as you are,’ she says.

Van Vuuren had the privilege of meeting some of the world’s leaders and asking her own questions about the state of Africa.

At her meeting with the President of Senegal, Abdoulaye Wade, she asked what he thought should be done about the ‘brain drain’ in Africa.

‘He said we need to have a strong sense of identity and be the change in Africa. He advised that Africans need to acknowledge that we have so much to offer the world, and that the world is waiting for us to give.’

Van Vuuren also briefly met Microsoft chairman Bill Gates, who was involved in a discussion on food and nutrition.

She says she wants to go into the field of agriculture eventually because she wants to change the perception that Africa always receives from the world and is unable to give much.

‘I feel that Africa has a lot of potential when it comes to agriculture. We have a lot of rich land and we sometimes think that there is not much we can give to the outside world.’

Van Vuuren says she made a vow when she was at Guildford that she will keep forever.

‘I vowed to know each Changemaker who was there by their name,’ she says.

‘If you address people by their names, you talk to the heart – you aren’t referring to them as “hey you” or “hey dude”. Your name is the key to your heart, so it gives people pride to be called by their names.’

She says she is taking a bigger version of herself back to Namibia and hopes that one day other young Namibians will get the chance that she got to meet influential leaders.

The British Council Country Director for Namibia, Ronnie Micallef, says: ‘We believe in sharing experiences and learning from our friends. We are delighted to have played a role in bringing Namibia’s voice to an international audience and we look forward to more.’

Katherine Hermanus, Communications Manager at the British Council in Switzerland, says the British Council is pleased to be able to give young people the opportunity to engage with global leaders.

For more information about Global Changemakers, visit this page. To read blogs from current and previous Changemakers, click here. Watch Changemakers YouTube videos here. To read more about British Council events and programmes, please visit this page. Read our latest news here: News in Africa section.