Colombia

GTSL STUDENT PROFILE

KAREN GUTIERREZ

Somondoco, Boyaca, Colombia
Centro Colombo Americano
(ESL institute)

Current School – Universidad Del Bosque

Karen wants to create Micro-businesses to stimulate new economic opportunities for the people of Somondoco.

Karen has graduated the English training program at CCA for her basic English course work. She is a very motivated and independent young woman who is inspiring her fellow young people in her hometown to start thinking about ways to help. Her focus, through her community project, is to help high school students figure out what are ways they can stimulate the economy in their hometown. The students have found that gastronomy, agriculture, recycling and clothing are new ways they can contribute. Since Somondoco has a population problem, Karen feels that if she can help the young people invest their time, education and resources into Somondoco; Somondoco can once again thrive and live up to the name of “The Land of Emerald.” Today Global Tassels assists Karen and our Community Advisor Mr. Pedro Lopez in providing youth development, professional trainings, and entrepreneurship workshops for students in the 11th and 12th grade levels at least twice a month in the village of Somondoco.

Student Profile Karen PDF Download

GTSL STUDENT PROFILE

Andrés Rodríguez

Andrés is a youth leader who watches over and promotes the rights of children. He is an active contributor to the construction of peace where boys, girls, adolescents, and young people can all live enjoying common well-being in his hometown. He has been involved in a local youth organization COMPARTIPAZ (Sharing Peace), a youth organization that advocates for youth in Tumaco, Columbia. In 2017, Andres took on the leadership role of training coordinator for the organization Today, Andrés continues to contribute to the empowerment of many boys and girls in his community by promoting the emergence of new leadership through social media and community engagement.
Andrés has advocated for the children and youth of Tumaco in many important scenarios of political influence. He influenced the construction of the National Development Plan in Bogotá at the Congress of the Republic of Colombia and participated in the launch of the Child Rights Now report with representatives of the United Nations in New York. Andrés has been awarded multiple recognitions in his community for his work. He was recognized for his consistent advocacy in building a better world for the young people of Tuma in 2017 and as an emerging leader in 2018. Both recognitions were delivered by the municipal youth board and the municipal mayor’s office of Tumaco.
At school, Andrés has served as ‘Leader of Participation and Communication’ in 2017 and as ‘Student Representative’ in 2020. Friends and colleagues describe Andrés as a passionate, resilient, and committed person who is eager for acquiring and sharing knowledge. Andrés dreams and advocates for a better future for every boy, girl, youth, and adolescent in his country.
“Let’s constantly fight to achieve that great dream!”- Andrés, 2022
Haiti

GTSL STUDENT PROFILE

NAICHKA LEONARD

Ville Des Gonaives, Artibonite, Haiti

Naichka is one of our newest Student Leaders from Haiti. Her nominator states, “that Naichka is an influencer, an intelligent, driven woman and has her boots grounded in the work that needs to be done in her community and country’” What sets her apart from our other students is that she comes with experience and successfully started a guaranteed loan program to help women finance their businesses since in the rural areas they have no access to banks and it would allow them to launch their own economic activities. She also started a business to promote Haitian sugar cane, raise consumption and sell. It is one of the major cash crops of Haiti and she believes it will help stimulate more money into the country.”

At the moment, Naichka is looking at where she will want to go to school for child development. She also has a passion for robotics and how to understand artificial intelligence since Haiti is so far behind technologically.

Student Profile Naichka PDF Download

India

GTSL STUDENT PROFILE

LAVANYA IYENGAR

Chennai, India

One of our newest Student Leader is Lavanya from India. Lavanya is a volunteer teacher at a school near her home. She teaches math, science and Tamil (the local language spoken in the region). She is a twin and has an older sister. She is an extraordinary young woman that loves all things finance; from accounting, economics and eco-analytics but what she is most passionate about is Women Rights. Her biggest influence is Indira Gandhi because she is bold and a positive influence for woman. Lavanya’s passion for women’s rights has been fueled by the injustices and cultural traditions of women’s only place is in the home. She feels that there is a lot of work that still needs to be done and wants to dedicate her time in advocating for girls to be able get an education, have a career, improve safety issues. She also wants to make a better impact in India for women. Her community project will be to help women be more financially sound. When asked what type of fruit she thinks she would be, she said a watermelon because they are hard on the outside but sweet in the inside. 

Student Profile Lavanya PDF Download

Kenya

GTSL STUDENT PROFILE

WINNIE MORAA KEMUNTO

Mawanga, Nakuru-Kenya
Jaramogi Oginga mOdinga University
of Science and Technology

Winnie, as per her mentor states, is an outspoken young lady who wears her heart on her sleeves and tells you like it is. When meeting and conversing with her, she is exactly how she is described. Coming from a single parent household, she has been helping her mother provide food for the table by working as a tea leaf gatherer and selling soda. There have been times when her family has struggled and could only eat once a day, but you would never see it from the way she carrIes herself. She has been very involved in sports as captain of her football (soccer) team, and has played on the handball, volleyball and badminton teams. Her passion is to eradicate hunger in her country. Because Kenya has been struggling with droughts that have left 2.7 million people in need of humanitarian assistance, it has been very difficult for the production of agriculture. Many of the staple foods like maize and commodities like sugar have been imported from other countries and prices have been inflated. Her dream is to become a Logistics and Supply Chain Manager to help build better storage facilities and supply the need so that there is no wastage of food, ultimately no hunger. Global Tassels is currently supporting her University studies and working with The Nakuru Project to implement a Community Project this year.

Student Profile Winnie PDF Download

Philippines

GTSL STUDENT PROFILE

MORRIS MAITEM

Cavite, Philippines
Polytechnic University of The Philippines

Morris is previously attended Emiliano Tria Tirona National High School. He is currently in his 2nd year and majoring in Business Management.

He wants learn how to build a successful business while developing his leadership skills to eventually start his own company. The company’s focus will be on vocational training that will allow students to develop skills that would help them in their everyday lives. Morris sees nutrition and food security as an issue that youth face within his community. He would like to tackle these area by developing a feeding a program. So far GT has provided financial support buy helping Morris purchase a laptop and sustain Wi-Fi connectivity since he is taking classes online. He is also working together with Brixter Rebullar on a combined Community Project in their neighborhoods to recycle plastics as building material and more.

Morris’ hobbies are singing, dancing and reading. He participated in dance presentations since elementary school and to this present day. Morris is also part of a church youth club, where he helps distribute donated goods to his community. .

Student Profile Morris PDF Download

GTSL STUDENT PROFILE

BRIXTER REBULLAR

Cavite, Philippines
University of Perpetual Help DALTA – Las Pinas

Brixter’s primary choice of study is Aviation (aircraft maintenance/pilot). His secondary choice is multimedia arts, and plans to use his skills in this field to create presentations and visual aides to help educate his community on proper communication.  He wants to focus on breaking down barriers, teach discipline on waste disposal, and electing more qualified individuals who have the community’s best interest at heart. Brixter’s biggest influence is the famous inventor,Tesla, because Tesla’s discoveries and inventions benefit the entire world.

Brixter is in his 3rd year at University of Perpetual Help. He is enrolled in a bachelor program for Aircraft Maintenance Technology. He will be working with Morris Maitem on their combined Community Project of resource renewal in the form of recycling plastic to use as building materials and more.

Student Profile Brixter PDF Download

Guatemala

GTSL STUDENT PROFILE

DAYSI TRUJILLO

La Democracia, Escuintla, Guatemala
Universidad Mariano Galvez de Guatemala

Daysi is currently in her 3rd year at Universidad Mariano Galvez de Guatemala.  She is getting her Bachelors of Science in Management. Daysi is known in her community to be a kind soul and willing to help everyone. She is especially known for being a motherly figure and big sister to the children in the neighborhood. In her town, there is an orphanage for disabled children that she often visits and helps the nuns with their care. Her passion is to help disabled children get a quality education and services they need to overcome poverty.

Currently, Daysi has been able to take some classes in between shutdowns and curfews during the 2020 and 2021 semesters.  Daysi’s community project will focus on building access to services for orphaned children living with disabilities.

Student Profile Daysi PDF Download