OUR FOUNDERS
OUR FOUNDERS
Young 1ove was founded in 2014 by two University of Botswana students and two American Fulbright Scholars who were committed to connecting information to youth who need it most. Since 2014 Young 1ove and the founders have grown, evolved and impacted individuals around the world. Take a look at some of their accomplishments!
MOITSHEPI MATSHENG
Focused and determined to lead the revolution against HIV in Botswana, Moitshepi co-founded Young 1ove at the age of 21 while studying law at the University of Botswana. Over the past three years as Young 1ove has grown and gained global recognition, Moitshepi has become the face of youth leadership internationally.
In 2016, Moitshepi was recognized by former President Festus Mogae as a pioneer of the Champions For an AIDS Free Generation. Her work with Young 1ove also earned her recognition as one of sixty young people from across the Commonwealth to receive the prestigious Queen's Young Leaders Award for exceptional youth making an impact in their communities.
In 2017 Moitshepi represented Young 1ove and Botswana at the 10th Annual UNESCO Youth Forum hosted in Paris. The forum brought together 70 young people to dialogue with UNESCO to present their concerns and ideas to Member States.
Moitshepi is currently finishing her law degree at University of Botswana and serves as our Country Coordinator.
NOAM ANGRIST
After studying Economics and Math at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Noam came to Botswana as a Fulbright Scholar to conduct research at the University of Botswana. His passions for evidence and social impact have been refined through experience working at the World Bank, the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL) and Match Education.
Along with his role as Executive Director, Noam is currently studying a Msc. in Science Based Social Intervention at the University of Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar.
In 2017 Noam received the prestigious Forbes 30 under 30: Social Entrepreneurs award for his work with Young 1ove. He has presented Young 1ove's work on various platforms including the Skoll World Forum, (please add more details).
BRENDA DUVERCE
In addition to founding Young 1ove as a Fulbright Scholar at the University of Botswana, Brenda has been a Gates Millennium Scholar, a Legislative Fellow at the House of Representatives, a policy fellow in the Department of the Interior, a Lucy E. Moten Fellow, and was named one of the 30 Top Thinkers Under 30 by the Pacific Standard.
After working as Co-Executive Director of Young 1ove, she earned a Master of Public Policy from the Gerald R. Ford School of Public Policy at the University of Michigan. While working on her masters, she used her experience at Young 1ove to teach courses on the Global HIV/AIDS Epidemic, Reproductive Health and Introduction to Statistics.
Brenda currently works as a Federal Health Consultant at Deloitte and serves as an Advisory Board Member for Young 1ove.
UNAMI MOATSWI
Unami Moatswi founded Young 1ove while studying Public Administration at the University of Botswana. Her passions for women's empowerment have earned her prestigious international recognition as a Chevening Scholar, a Mandela Washington Fellow and a Royal Commonwealth Society Associate. She is a Southern Africa representative in the Africa-Europe committee for the Commonwealth Youth Council and served as a Young Women's Coordinator at the World YWCA.
Unami has a Msc in Development studies from the London School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) and was awarded a Seed Grant from Women Deliver for her work in Project Unbreakable, an anti-sexual harassment campaign focusing on institutions of high learning in Botswana. She has also volunteered with the Queen's Young Leaders Program as a Peer Mentor and interned at mothers2mothers.
She is currently an interim steering committee member of the African Women Leaders Network writes for the She Speaks Blog to change the way women's stories are told.
