Continuing our International Youth Day series, we're excited to share another exchange between our Youth Fellows! Today, Preeti from India asks Owam Govender, our Youth Fellow from South Africa, about the changes she envisions for mental health support for South African youth. Watch the video to hear Owam's vision for a future where every young person has the support they need. #IYD2024 #EMpowerYouthFellows
EMpower—The Emerging Markets Foundation
Philanthropic Fundraising Services
New York, NY 13,566 followers
Empowering young people, creating brighter futures.
About us
Founded in 2000, EMpower—The Emerging Markets Foundation is a not-for-profit organisation that partners with local organisations in emerging market countries, and other change-makers, to enable marginalised young people to transform their lives and communities. We support local organisations in emerging market countries that provide youth with the tools, skills, and resources they need to lead healthy, productive lives. What Makes EMpower Unique? -Concentration on emerging market countries, where communities are many times marginalised and left out of economic booms. -Focus on young people during a critical time of transition and the three key building blocks for their future: education, health, and livelihoods. -Open dialogue: EMpower engages donors in decisions about grants and forms trusting conversations with grantee partners about the issues they face and their solutions. -Streamlined, transparent, and highly cost-effective grantmaking model: 100% of funds raised from individuals goes directly to our grantee partners. -Multifaceted and long-term support: we don't just provide financial resources to our grantees, but partnership, networking, and learning opportunities.
- Website
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http://www.empowerweb.org
External link for EMpower—The Emerging Markets Foundation
- Industry
- Philanthropic Fundraising Services
- Company size
- 11-50 employees
- Headquarters
- New York, NY
- Type
- Nonprofit
- Founded
- 2000
- Specialties
- Grantmaking, Adolescent Girls Empowerment, Youth Development, and Capacity Building
Locations
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Primary
Get directions
125 Maiden Lane
9th Floor
New York, NY 10038, US
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65 St. Paul’s Churchyard
3rd Floor Paternoster House
London, England EC4M 8AB, GB
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50 Bonham Strand
Room 318, 3/F, Strand 50
Hong Kong, HK
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B-4, Greater Kailash Enclave Part – II
Ground Floor Annexe Building
New Delhi, Delhi 110048, IN
Employees at EMpower—The Emerging Markets Foundation
Updates
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International Youth Day is right around the corner and what better way to celebrate than hear from young people! This #IYD2024, we thought to use technology to connect our Youth Fellows (YFs) across regions and transcend the boundaries of distance and time! We got YFs to pose and field questions to/from each other about their work and its context, their ambitions and hopes. Today, we’re starting off with Alfina Damayanti (Fifi), a YF from Indonesia, asking Preeti, a YF from India, about the importance of girls taking a central role in decision-making. Do you have questions or words of encouragement for these amazing leaders? Drop them in the comments below! #EMpowerYouthFellows
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EMpower—The Emerging Markets Foundation reposted this
The visits to EMpower—The Emerging Markets Foundation partners with SA Fellows continue to inspire us deeply, as we get to experience innovative models and programmes created to assist young people in achieving better mental health outcomes. Last week, Rozanne Myburgh welcomed us with open arms at Lefika La Phodiso —"The Rock of Holding and Healing." Lefika facilitates an arts-based open studio programme for young people from Johannesburg's inner city and surroundings, providing a safe space after school and offering emotional and psychological support. Lefika prioritizes building strong relationships with facilitators, peer organisation’s, and parents to create a supportive community for young people. This includes monthly case presentations to expose the community to Lefika’s work. During our visit, Rozanne conducted an art workshop, allowing us to experience what the young participants do in their after-school programme (we would share our beautiful art pieces, but I think we prefer to keep some of our “talents” to ourselves). We also toured the building and explored the sensory space. The joy on our faces reflects Lefika’s ability to provide a positive environment while tackling some of the most difficult challenges faced by young people. Rozanne’s passion and dedication speak volumes, it truly was a privilege to witness the incredible work being done at Lefika. We cannot wait for more visits! #MeaningfulYouthEngagement #MentalHealth #YouthEmpowerment #ArtBasedTherapy
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"An investment today will pay dividends in the form of young people leading healthy, fulfilling lives — dividends that will benefit individuals and societies for generations to come." Deborah Diedericks, EMpower Senior Programme Officer South Africa, discusses funders' vital role in supporting youth mental health and underscores strategic approaches to making impactful investments. Read to know more: https://lnkd.in/eriREZee What do you think are the most effective ways to support youth mental health? Share your thoughts in the comments!
NEW on the CEP blog, Deborah Diedericks of EMpower—The Emerging Markets Foundation points to the clear and widespread need for investment and prioritization of mental health care for youth, and offers three ways forward for funders. Read the full blog here: https://lnkd.in/eriREZee #mentalhealth #youth #youthmentalhealth #healthcare #funders #philanthropy
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In our latest blog, Lindsay Prybylski, Global People and Culture Associate at EMpower writes about the inception of the Senior Leadership Team (SLT) Advisory Group, the challenges and learnings along the way, and what they are looking forward to as the journey evolves. Read more: https://lnkd.in/gxWepxf7.
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Meet Olivia, a youth participant from Yayasan Kusuma Buana (YKB), our long-term grantee partner in Indonesia. YKB empowers young people with sexual and reproductive health and rights education, counselling, and referrals to youth-friendly services. In this Q&A, Olivia shares her inspiring journey with YKB. Discover how it has empowered her to dream big, learn essential skills, and build self-confidence. 👇
Empowering Young Girls: Olivia's Journey with Yayasan Kusuma Buana (YKB)
EMpower—The Emerging Markets Foundation on LinkedIn
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EMpower—The Emerging Markets Foundation reposted this
We had a lovely visit from EMpower—The Emerging Markets Foundation today. The South African Youth Fellows joined our managing director Rozanne Myburgh for an arts therapy workshop. Thank you for the visit - we hope this will be the first of many!
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"Collaborative and partnership thinking has gained momentum, and funders and civil society are bringing multiple stakeholders together to achieve the SDGs. However, girls and women should not be treated as instruments for achieving these goals. They need to be engaged in a non-extractive way, and feel the benefits—like in gaining agency—which should in turn be recognised by funders." Nisha Dhawan, EMpower's Vice President of Impact and Influence, has recently been featured in Girls Not Brides: The Global Partnership to End Child Marriage's latest brief. The brief explores the intricate links between child marriage, key national policies, and civil society initiatives in India. You can read it here: https://lnkd.in/gwzyj-ce
With the 2030 deadline for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) fast approaching, our latest brief explores the intricate links between child marriage, key national policies, and civil society initiatives in India. Girls Not Brides organised a consultation with 50 stakeholders working across different SDG areas from civil society, funders and researchers to promote the application of contextual evidence and initiatives to address child marriage and advance girls’ rights and agency across India. Developed in collaboration with Girls Not Brides member organisations and sector experts, this brief provides critical evidence and highlights opportunities for multisectoral collaboration to address the root causes of child marriage and support gender equality in India. 📖 Read the full brief: https://lnkd.in/ekKmGcrk ✨ Key Takeaways: 1️⃣ Context-Specific: We need more evidence on “what works” to create resilient, gender-transformative, intersectional, and participatory child marriage programmes. 2️⃣ Gender Norms: Changing norms requires programmes that support girls’ agency, access to education, and conversations between parents and children about education over early marriage. 3️⃣ Age-Appropriate, Gender-Synchronised: Child marriage work needs to go beyond understanding boys and men as allies, to encourage them to actively address harmful masculinity, gendered expectations and sexual abuse. Working with girls and boys alongside each other is key to effective child marriage programming. 4️⃣ Research Methods: Participatory methods, and qualitative data like narratives and stories are ways to include the voices of those who are often left out due to stigmatisation. 5️⃣ Programmes: Programmes enhancing capacities and access to public institutions show promise in addressing community-level norms change and gender inequality. 6️⃣ Funding: Providing flexible funding for grassroots organisations and bridging the worlds of funders and implementers requires constant engagement, and for funders to enhance their knowledge on issues at the grassroots level. 7️⃣ Allyship: Sharing priorities among donors, practitioners, and researchers ensures continued funding and effective resolution of core development issues. Thank you Amrita Gupta for working on the Learning Brief with Girls Not Brides Asia team and thank you to all the stakeholders and member organisations, including: Archana Dwivedi, Jairus Ligoo, Jayeeta Chowdhury, Kumar Shailabh, Lora Prabhu, Mamta Borgoyary, Moumita Sarkar, Nisha Dhawan, Ph.D, Ravi Verma, Renu Khanna, Rukmini Sen, Dr. Santwana Adhikari, Sonal Kapoor, Sushmita Mukherjee and Taveeshi Gupta, #EndChildMarriage #GenderEquality #SDGs #IntersectionalApproach #SustainableDevelopment #GenderTransformative #Youth #Research #Evidence #Learning
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At EMpower, we believe young people are valued experts with profound insights shaped by their lived experiences. Recently, EMpower hosted three online sessions that brought together youth fellows from across regions. These sessions provided a space for fellows to share their experiences, connect, and learn together. We aim to continue creating spaces where young people can meaningfully engage, assert their rights, and access the resources necessary to drive positive change.
Since September last year, EMpower has embarked on an exciting pilot program focused on Meaningful Youth Engagement (MYE) in Mexico. We are collaborating with six inspiring young fellows—Jenifer, Héctor, Melanie, Sophia, Abril, and Eddy—to support two crucial processes: updating the country's strategy by gathering peer input and preparing a youth-for-youth event addressing issues that impact young people. In recent weeks, we have facilitated connections among EMpower fellows across regions, offering a space for them to share their lived experiences. The wisdom and honesty in their words have been truly inspiring. This MYE journey has been remarkable, and we are committed to finding new ways to continue these valuable gatherings and overcoming language barriers and time differences. One common issue that young fellows from Mexico and Indonesia have shared is mental health and the various challenges connected to it. Young people, no matter where they are located, grapple with very similar challenges. Thank you to everyone involved for making this gathering between the Mexican and Indonesian fellows possible. --------------------------- Desde septiembre del año pasado, EMpower ha emprendido un emocionante programa piloto enfocado en la Participación Significativa de Jóvenes (MYE) en México. Estamos colaborando con seis personas jóvenes inspiradoras: Jenifer, Héctor, Melanie, Sophia, Abril y Eddy, para apoyar en dos procesos cruciales: actualizar la estrategia del país recopilando aportes de sus pares y preparar un evento de jóvenes para jóvenes que aborde los problemas que afectan a las personas jóvenes. En las últimas semanas, hemos facilitado conexiones entre las y los becarios de EMpower en diferentes regiones, ofreciendo un espacio para que compartan sus experiencias de vida. La sabiduría y la honestidad en sus palabras han sido verdaderamente inspiradoras. Este viaje de MYE ha sido invaluable, y estamos comprometidas a encontrar nuevas formas de continuar estos valiosos encuentros, superando las barreras del idioma y las diferencias horarias. Un tema común que los becarios de México e Indonesia han compartido son los problemas de salud mental y los diversos desafíos relacionados con ellos. Los jóvenes, sin importar dónde se encuentren, enfrentan desafíos muy similares. Gracias a todos los involucrados por hacer posible este encuentro entre los becarios mexicanos e indonesios. EMpower—The Emerging Markets Foundation Kundhavi Balachandran April Yip Deborah Schmulewitz Daniel Parnetti #MYE
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EMpower’s President & CEO, Cynthia Steele, recently spoke with Toby West, Global Director of Marketing at MarketAxess and UK Board Director at EMpower. They discussed the unique elements of the EMpower approach, the role of purposeful philanthropy in the finance community, and more. Read the full interview here: https://lnkd.in/g_S6U7VM
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