Aida Yazew

Hi, I am Aida and I am an Act4Food Youth Leader from Ethiopia. I am very passionate about food systems transformation, community health, and finding ways for youth to take action in their local context. My journey started when I was 16, during a time of war in my area. I began cooking as a hobby and a way to spend time, but with limited ingredients available due to a siege, I became curious about how to create new recipes and make the most of what we had. Later, I started visiting malnourished children in hospitals with goods, and eventually I began volunteering at an internally displaced people’s camp. Together with my peers, we set up a vegetable garden and involved children and mothers in growing food, helping make diets in the camp more nutritious.

I also started a fundraising program that provided free school meals for some students, and now I have founded a youth volunteer group of around 40 young people working toward just food systems transformation. I have also had the opportunity to represent youth at UNFSS+4 and the Rockefeller Foundation’s Nourishing the Future event as an Act4Food Youth Leader. I want to keep building spaces where young people can lead change towards fair and sustainable food systems and work to ensure that nutritious food is accessible for all.