Junior Leaders For Real grew out of conversations

Junior Leaders For Real began as conversations with young people. It has grown into a youth association, a platform where, Thormilson Thompson says, young people "can connect, learn from one another, access mentorship and participate in initiatives that address real issues affecting their lives."

Thormilson, a student at the University of Zimbabwe, founded it at 18.

“I never set out to build an organization, I simply saw a gap and stepped up to fill the gap.”

Thormilson Thompson

The gap was in the youth spaces Thormilson already knew. "As a young person, I noticed that many youth spaces focused on talking about young people rather than creating opportunities for young people to lead," Thormilson says. There were talented and creative young people nearby who, they say, "often lacked access to mentorship, leadership development opportunities, networks and platforms where their voices could be heard."

"That realization led me to start Junior Leaders For Real," Thormilson says.

The association brings young people together around "leadership development, climate action, advocacy, personal growth and community engagement." So far it has organized leadership conversations, community activities, awareness campaigns, mentorship sessions and partnerships, and it has collaborated with like-minded organizations.

"We are still growing," Thormilson says. Growth is the next chapter. "We want to reach more young people, especially those who have limited access to leadership and development opportunities." The association also wants to host more community-based programs, strengthen mentorship networks and support youth-led projects.

Social media impressions and titles are not the measure, Thormilson says. The result they care about most is measured by "the young person who gains confidence to speak in public for the first time, the young leader who launches a community initiative after attending one of our programs or the student who discovers that their voice and ideas matter."

"My vision is simple: a generation of young people who are confident, informed, engaged, and ready to lead in their communities. And we are already building it."