This world can be a scary place – full of injustice, fear and uncertainty. More often than not, we chose to loose hope and to give in to our circumstances. Oftentimes, we accept our lifes as they were handed to us, and succumb to the hardships of our situation. Giving up seems easier, and more attainable than standing up against all odds.

However, this place wouldn’t be what it is without the people who prove us wrong! They show us that hope exists even in the darkest times, and that even the most oppressed among us can stand up for themselves and fight, so that eventually, they end up in a better situation.

And if they can, why not you?

Here are 15 kids who never gave up fighting through the darkest times, and who inspired the world to do the same!

Deng Adut

Imagine being a normal six-year-old child in South Sudan, when suddenly someone kidnaps you and turns you into a child soldier! This is exactly what happened to Deng Adut in the early 90s. But even through the hardest and most painful times (really), the young boy never lost hope and finally managed to escape his horrible situation. Deng Adut is now a defense attorney in Australia, the founder of the “John Mac Foundation”, and a role model to many refugees who strive for a better future. Keep reading to know his whole story!

From turmoil to forgiveness: how to become whole | Deng Adut | TEDxMelbourne

The Beginnings Of Deng’s Odyssee

The boy was born in 1983 in South Sudan, right during a time when a civil war broke over the country. At only six years old while playing outside, Deng was kidnapped by rebels who wanted to fight the government. He and many other children had to walk for 33 days until they reached Ethiopia under the harshest conditions, and some of them starved or died of thirst on the way, or were killed by bandits and wild animals. The rebels planned to turn the children into child soldiers, into pawns for their own ideas. And once they reached Ethiopia, things only got worse for the young boy.

Deng and the other children had to go through a hard military training. Those who disobeyed were shot in front of everyone’s eyes, so that noone would dare to turn against the rebels. There was only very little to eat and Deng caught all sorts of nasty diseases. One time he stepped on a nail and the wound has become infected. The pain was unbearable because sand fleas were feeding on his flesh and hindering the healing process, and Deng almost lost his foot.

How He Turned His Fate Around

At nine years old, the young boy learned how to use an AK-47. He was expected to kill or else he would get killed. One day he was shot in the back and almost bled to death. While recovering, Deng met a soldier who knew his half-brother John. The young man was ten years older than Deng and determined to help his brother. One night, he hid Deng in a truck under a sack of corns and drove him to Kenya, where after 18 months in a refugee camp, they got the permission to move to Australia.

Without any education or knowledge of the language, Deng worked several jobs and slowly learned English. He completed a course that was equivalent to a high school certificate and received a scholarship for a law degree in 2005. Deng and John graduated from University and Deng began to work as a defense attorney, while John became a development worker.

John returned to Sudan for his work, but in 2014 when he helped civilists escape the war zone, he sadly lost his life. In memory of his brother, Deng founded the John-Mac-Foundation which gives university scholarships to refugees in Australia and advocates for justice in South-Sudan.

Deng’s story is a perfect example of a person who has gone through the worst horror imaginable and yet used his incredible strengh as a human being to pick himself up and to rewrite his story. He shows how the human spirit is unstoppable, and how the past can be our fuel for a brighter future.

Anne Frank

Anne Frank was just a young teenager when she and her family had to flee from Germany to Amsterdam to escape the Nazi regime. The Jewish girl kept a diary, documenting her life while hiding from the Nazis in a secret attic behind a bookshelf. When the family was discovered, almost all its members were killed in concentration camps. Only Otto Frank, Anne’s father, survived and published her diary in 1947, calling it “The Diary of a Young Girl.” Anne, who always dreamed of becoming a renowned journalist and writer, became one of the most discussed Jewish victims of the Holocaust. Her diary is now one of the world’s most famous books, reminding millions of this dark chapter in human history. Keep reading to find out more!

The Frank Family And Germany’s Nazi Regime

The German girl was born into a Jewish family in 1929, during a time when Nazis and anti-Semitism were on the rise, making life extremely difficult for Jews. When the Nazis became the leading party in Germany in 1933, Anne’s father, Otto Frank, decided to move his family to the Netherlands to protect them from the terror. However, after the war started, the family realized that living in another country was no longer sufficient – they had to go into hiding permanently.

The Frank family and Otto’s business partner’s family concealed themselves in a small apartment attached to their company building, which could only be accessed through a door hidden behind a movable bookshelf. From that point forward, there was no turning back. For a teenager like Anne Frank, this was anything but easy. She lived in constant fear of execution and longed for life beyond those cramped rooms. As conflicts arose among her cohabitants, her situation became even more challenging to handle, so Anne turned to the only outlet she had – her diary.

Legacy Of Anne Frank

„What I like best is that I can write down what I think and feel; otherwise, I might suffocate completely.“ Anne dreamed of becoming a renowned journalist or author. When she learned that the Dutch government was urging everyone to keep diaries and document the Nazi occupation, she revised some of her entries, hoping that one day she would be able to publish them.

Yet, in November 1944, the Nazis raided their hidden apartment and sent everyone present to concentration camps. Less than a year later, Anne Frank was reported dead. Otto Frank, her father, was the sole survivor of the family. A friend had safeguarded Anne’s diaries and eventually handed them over to Otto, resulting in the publication of „The Diary of Anne Frank“ in 1947. Since then, it has been translated into 70 languages and has been read by millions of people worldwide. Even today, Anne Frank continues to inspire people to never lose hope and reminds us of these horrific events that should never be forgotten.

Claudette Colvin

You’ve likely heard of civil rights activist Rosa Parks, who was arrested for refusing to give up her bus seat to a white man. However, did you know that nine months prior, 15-year-old Claudette Colvin was also arrested for the same reason? Keep reading to find out more!

During that time, African Americans were treated as second-class citizens, attending separate schools, churches, and shops from white individuals. They often encountered signs such as „For Whites Only“ or „Colored People Must Sit Here.“ In her segregated school, Claudette was an excellent but rebellious student. She refused to straighten her hair as was expected of black people, and she found profound inspiration in the stories of Harriet Tubman and Sojourner Truth, both of whom had escaped slavery and became political activists.

On May 2, 1955, Claudette and her friends were taking the bus home from school. When a young white woman boarded the crowded bus, the driver demanded that the girls vacate their seats. Three girls complied, but Claudette Colvin remained seated. She argued that she had paid for her bus ride and that it was her right to occupy the seat. Even though the white woman now had an empty seat available, she refused to use it because she didn’t want to sit next to a black girl.

Later, Claudette would recall feeling as though „Sojourner Truth was pressing down on one shoulder and Harriet Tubman on the other, telling me, ‚Stay seated, girl.‘“ Claudette was forcefully removed from the bus and taken to jail. Despite her story gaining some attention, it seemed that she was considered too young. And when she became pregnant, her narrative faded into obscurity. Colvin went on to become a nurse and seldom spoke about her experience until 2009, when a book titled „Claudette Colvin“ brought renewed attention to her remarkable action.

Ryan White

When Ryan was three days old, his parents were informed that he had been diagnosed with hemophilia, a blood disorder. With the help of donor blood, he could lead an almost normal life, with no one noticing his condition. However, at the age of 13, Ryan began experiencing frequent dizziness and fatigue. He was diagnosed with a lung infection, and his parents were informed that Ryan had AIDS.

Apparently, he had been infected by a blood donor, and the doctors gave him only six more months to live. He wanted to spend that time attending school and having fun with his friends, just as he had done before. Little did he anticipate the fear and rejection that would come his way.

People refused to get close to him and instead ridiculed him for being gay, as they believed that only homosexuals could contract AIDS. The school even attempted to exclude him from class, and although their efforts were unsuccessful, parents began withdrawing their children from the school.

Eventually, Ryan’s family relocated to another city, where they received a warm welcome. By that time, Ryan’s story had reached the media, and he received support from celebrities worldwide, such as Elton John and former US President Ronald Reagan. Before long, Ryan became the face of the AIDS movement. He appeared on TV, was featured in magazines, and participated in awareness campaigns. In 1990, his health deteriorated further, and just one month prior to his high school graduation, Ryan passed away.

Several months later, the Ryan White CARE Act was introduced, a program that provides research funding for the diagnosis and treatment of AIDS. Even today, Ryan’s story is not forgotten. He was never a victim but instead understood that hatred and fear stem from ignorance. Thus, he dedicated his life to educating people on this subject and creating a more respectful and supportive environment.

Tawakkul Karman

Tawakkul Karman was born in North Yemen. Her father, a journalist and later a politician, demonstrated against government corruption, so Tawakkul learned early on to fight against injustice and suffering. After North Yemen won the civil war against South Yemen in 1994, the authoritarian government gained control over the entire country. Tawakkul decided to become a journalist to inform the public about the political instability and human rights violations she witnessed daily.

Her articles and films often criticized the Yemeni government, resulting in mockery and threats from them. But that didn’t deter the young woman. In 2005, she and other women founded the organization „Journalists Without Chains“. Every week, they held peaceful demonstrations on the streets of Sanaa, demanding an end to corruption, freedom of speech, and respect for human rights, particularly women’s rights.

In interviews, Tawakkul would explain that she was concerned about her safety, but her need for „dignity and freedom“ would not let her stop what she was doing. Throughout her life, she was arrested, kidnapped, and attacked many times. The first time she went to jail, her husband expressed in the media how proud he was of her. This was an uncommon reaction, as women in Yemen who bring shame upon their families are often harshly criticized and even banished. But despite being arrested several times, Tawakkul never quit. She continued organizing protests, including during the Arab Spring in 2011, when several governments in the Arab world started collapsing and President Ali Abdullah Saleh resigned.

Tawakkul gained fame as the „Mother of the Revolution“ and „the Iron Woman“. In 2011, she earned the Nobel Peace Prize, which honored her peaceful fight for democracy and women’s rights. At that time, she was the youngest Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, the first Yemeni, the first Arab woman, and the second Muslim to win that prize. What an achievement!

Iqbal Masih

Iqbal was born in Pakistan in 1983. When he was still a baby, his father left the family, and his mother had to fend for herself to provide food and clothing for her children. When Iqbal was four years old, his mother needed money urgently and took a loan from carpet manufacturers. As a result, Iqbal had to work as a carpet weaver until the debts were paid off.

Iqbal and the other children had to weave for fourteen hours a day, six days a week, often being chained to the loom. The heat was unbearable, and the children were not allowed to talk to each other and were often beaten. If anyone tried to escape, they were threatened with being thrown into burning oil. Iqbal worked under these conditions for many years, but instead of repaying the loan, the debt grew due to interest and penalty fees whenever Iqbal made mistakes. Because he barely had food for years and sat in front of the loom all day, his body was only half the size of an average ten-year-old by the time he was ten.

However, Iqbal possessed an indomitable will. One day, he happened to see a poster of the Bonded Labor Liberation Front (BLLF), an organization that helps children escape slavery, and learned that bonded labor was illegal in Pakistan. The boy managed to contact activists from the organization, and they helped him escape his life as a slave in the carpet factory. Iqbal was able to attend the BLLF school and participated in demonstrations against bonded labor. He spoke to journalists and addressed large crowds to draw attention to the issue. In 1994, he was invited to the United States, where he received a human rights award and visited schools and human rights groups. A university offered him a scholarship, and he wanted to study law there.

However, Iqbal made many enemies in Pakistan due to his advocacy for children’s rights. On Easter Sunday 1995, while he was riding his bicycle with his two cousins on a lonely road, he was shot and killed. No one was ever convicted of the murder, but many believe that the so-called „carpet mafia“ was behind it. It is incredible what this boy achieved in his short, tragic life—and what he could have achieved if he had more time.

Freedom hero. Iqbal Masih

Thandiwe Chama

Thandiwe Chama was only eight years old when her school was closed because there were no longer enough teachers. The reason for this: Many had died of AIDS, a disease that shook her country, Zambia, in the 90s. Because Thandiwe desperately wanted to go to school, she persuaded many of her classmates to participate in a protest march. The action was successful – they were allowed to attend a school in the neighborhood. Encouraged by her success, Thandiwe began to advocate for better education for all of Zambia’s children. In 2007, at the age of 17, she was awarded the „International Children’s Peace Prize“ for her work.

Thandiwe used her prize money to build a roof and windows, new classrooms, a library, and a laboratory for her school. Since people were still dying from the AIDS epidemic, Thandiwe decided that the only way to combat the problem was to educate people about the disease. She was convinced that all children should understand how AIDS spreads. That’s why she wrote a book about AIDS as educational material for schools. She organized several movements, one of which was to bring fruit to sick children in the nearby hospital, and she helped people get tested for HIV.

Thandiwe continues to fight for children in Zambia and around the world. In her opinion, EVERY child in the world has a voice and deserves to be heard. We wholeheartedly agree.

Ryan Hreljac

Ryan’s story is the perfect example of what happens when a child dares to dream.

When he was six years old, a teacher told Ryan that countless children in Africa had to walk for miles every day to fetch water, and even then, the water was often not clean. Because they drank contaminated water, millions of people got sick and died from deadly diseases like typhoid every year. Ryan had never thought about it before, but now he realized how unfair it was that he could drink clean water anytime while others couldn’t. When he got home, he talked to his parents about how they could help. His parents agreed to give him extra pocket money if he helped with household chores.

After four months, he had earned 70 Canadian dollars and hoped the money would be enough to build a well in an African country like Uganda. But it turned out that a well cost about 2,000 dollars! Ryan didn’t give up; he would collect donations.He started talking to everyone he knew about his plan and asked people if they would contribute. After a year, he had collected 3,000 dollars, and the media had caught wind of Ryan’s campaign.

In January 1999, when Ryan was eight years old, a well was drilled in a village in Uganda, right next to a school. Ryan visited them, and 5,000 children lined the street to welcome him. During his visit, he befriended a boy named Jimmy. Jimmy told him that before the well was built, he had to wake up at midnight every day and walk five kilometers to a swamp to fetch water, and then walk all the way back. And as if that weren’t enough, he had to do this three times a day to provide enough water for the whole family. Later, Jimmy got caught in the crossfire of the civil war in Uganda. His parents disappeared, and he was abducted and forced to fight as a child soldier. But he managed to escape, and in 2003, Ryan’s family was able to adopt him.

In 2001, the „Ryan’s Well Foundation“ was founded, with a mission to provide access to clean water and educate the poorest regions about the importance of hygiene and clean water. The foundation has already developed over 1,400 water projects, improving the lives of nearly one million people. Ryan continues to spread his message worldwide and has already spoken with famous figures like Pope John Paul II and conservationist Dr. Jane Goodall. He has also appeared on television and won many awards for his incredible fundraising achievements. Countless young people have been inspired by his speeches. He says, „Everyone has the opportunity to have a significant impact on the lives of others. Whether it’s about water or something else, you just have to think as naively as a first-grader“.

Sonita Alizadeh

In 2002, when her family fled from Afghanistan to Iran, Sonita was six years old. Without documents, she wasn’t allowed to go to school and had to work instead. Sonita’s father passed away when she was ten, leaving her mother to support the family on her own. The girl found out that her mother intended to sell her as a bride, as was the tradition for Afghan girls. Fortunately, the sale didn’t go through.

Sonita had seen how terrible forced marriage could be among many of her friends. To express her feelings towards child marriage, Sonita began writing pop songs, such as the song „Child Labour,“ but she found pop music too slow for the message she wanted to convey. „Pop wasn’t suitable for the story I wanted to tell the world,“ she says.

When she came across the music of the American rapper Eminem, she felt that rap had the power she needed for her message. Since women in Iran are not allowed to sing or rap in public, Sonita had to be very careful about who saw her lyrics. Nevertheless, she secretly made recordings and even won $1,000 in an American music video competition. At the age of 16, Sonita was living alone in Iran because her family had returned to Afghanistan. Her brother was supposed to get married, and to pay for his bride, Sonita was to be sold again—this time for $9,000. Sonita rebelled in the only way she could and wrote the song „Daughters for Sale.“ It depicts Sonita in a bridal gown rapping her powerful message. The video quickly became an internet sensation, inspiring many Afghan women to fight against forced marriage.

When Sonita was offered a scholarship to a school in the United States, she seized the opportunity and escaped the marriage. Today, Sonita lives in the USA, where she continues her fight against child marriage. She has already met with important politicians and influential activists to work together towards her goal.

Malala Yousafzai

Malala Yousafzai was born in 1997. In Pakistan, her home country, many children have no option to go to school, especially girls. Over 20 percent of young girls are married off before reaching adulthood. Malala was fortunate that in her family, education was considered important for both boys and girls. She attended a girls‘ school that her father had opened. However, everything changed when the radical Taliban movement took control in Swat Valley, where Malala lived. Dancing, watching TV, and going to school were no longer allowed, especially for girls.

Malala refused to accept this and was determined to continue her education. She began writing blog posts on a BBC website under the pseudonym Gul Makai. In her „Diary of a Pakistani Schoolgirl,“ Malala depicted her fear and her longing to attend school. When her true identity was revealed, she started speaking in public. In 2012, while on her way home, Malala was shot in the head by a masked and armed Taliban member who boarded her school bus. Despite her life-threatening injuries, she was transported to a hospital in Birmingham, where her scalp and face were reconstructed through plastic surgery. After her recovery, she resumed her education in Birmingham.

By this point, the entire world had heard her story, and several education funds were established to support girls‘ education worldwide. One year later, Malala delivered a speech at a UN conference in New York and published a book that became a global bestseller, titled „I am Malala.“ In 2014, she became the youngest person in history to receive the Nobel Peace Prize. Later, she pursued her studies at Oxford University, authored more books, and continuously raised her voice for over 130 million girls who don’t have the right to attend school.

In her book „We are Displaced,“ Malala wrote, „You either give up completely and break, or you become so resilient that no one can break you.“

Ann Makosinski

Ann’s parents raised the girl somewhat differently than usual. They didn’t buy her expensive toys, allowed her no TV time, and did not provide her with video games or a phone. Instead, they encouraged her to play in nature and use her imagination. One of her first toys was a box full of transistors. Ann spent hours disassembling electronic components and constructing toys from household items.

Since she was seven years old, Ann has been building things for local science fairs. Ann had a friend from the Philippines at school who struggled academically because she had no light at home to do her homework in the evenings. That concern stayed with Ann, and at the age of 15, she decided to find a solution. She realized that people produce excess heat, and she wanted to harness that. Within six months, the prototype of the „Hollow Electric Flashlight“ was built. Ann used the temperature difference between the surroundings and hand warmth to generate energy. The energy was directed to efficient LED lamps, making them glow.

With this invention, Ann won a science prize from Google and became a sensation. In 2013, Time magazine included her on the „30 under 30“ list of the most influential young people and she was invited to famous TV shows. There, she showcased her other inventions, such as the „eDrink“ – a cup that utilizes the heat from a hot drink to generate electricity, allowing a phone to be charged for 30 minutes. She also delivered several TED Talks, one of them titled „Why I Don’t Use a Smartphone.“ In that TED Talk, she conveyed the important message that smartphones can be useful but often prevent us from doing something truly useful. Her advice is: „The next time you pick up your phone, don’t think about what you can do with it. Think about what you could do WITHOUT it.“

Felix Finkbeiner

When Felix was nine, he was assigned to give a presentation about climate change at school. While researching, he discovered the story of Wangari Maathai. This woman from Kenya had studied biology in the US and, upon returning to Kenya, realized that deforestation was severely impacting the country’s environment. Her solution was to inspire her community to plant 30 million trees in 30 years. In 2004, the „mother of trees“ received the Nobel Peace Prize, because in order for peace to exist, it requires a safe and healthy environment.

Felix was inspired by this story and shared it in his presentation. He also explained that trees produce oxygen from CO2 and that planting a million trees could help address the human-made problem of CO2 emissions. His presentation concluded with the words: „Let’s plant a million trees in every country in the world!“ Felix’s teacher was impressed and asked him to deliver the same presentation in other classes and in front of the school’s principal.

Two weeks later, Felix planted his first tree on the school grounds, and a reporter was there to document his action. The story quickly spread, and soon schoolchildren all over Germany began planting trees. A website was created to keep track of the newly planted trees, and within a year, the number of saplings grew to 50,000. Felix named his initiative, which later became a foundation, „Plant-for-the-Planet.“

At the age of ten, he delivered a speech at the European Parliament, and at 13, he was invited to speak in front of the United Nations. With the support of the United Nations, „Plant-for-the-Planet“ academies were established all around the world. Children could learn how to mobilize their own communities to plant trees. Since the inception of the initiative, 14 million trees have been planted in 130 countries. Consequently, Felix initiated the „Billion Trees Project.“ The plan is to motivate one million children to become „Climate Justice Ambassadors“ and to plant one billion trees – 150 trees for every person on the planet. Let’s make it happen!

Xiuhtezcatl Roske-Martinez

Born in Colorado in the US, Xiuhtezcatl (pronounced „Schu-TESS-kat“) grew up in Aztec tradition. From a young age, he learned that nature is a gift and that it must be protected. His parents taught him that mankind’s greediness has a detrimental effect on our planet. Before his birth, his mother founded the organization „Earth Guardians,“ in which she is still active and in which Xiuhtezcatl serves as the Youth Director. The organization aims to inspire young people worldwide to join or establish movements advocating for environmental protection and social justice.

At the age of six, Xiuhtezcatl stood on a stage for the first time and spoke about our sacred planet. At nine, he became active in his community, advocating for the banning of pesticides in parks, fees for plastic bags, and against fracking in Colorado. By the age of twelve, he had become one of the youngest speakers at the UN conference for sustainable development in Rio de Janeiro. At fifteen, he and 20 other teenagers sued the Obama government for „knowingly contributing to climate change“ – yes, he sued the government. Even though the lawsuit was supposed to be dismissed, it is still ongoing. In the same year, he was invited to deliver a speech at the United Nations General Assembly in New York, which is a significant achievement. His speech touched the hearts of many UN members, prompting them to stand in solidarity and respect.

These days, he writes hip-hop songs addressing climate change and continues to engage in community work and projects.

Sunakali Budha

The story of Sunakali is lesser-known. She grew up in Mugu, a mountain region in Nepal, which is one of the poorest countries on Earth. The landscape is breathtaking, but life is harsh there. Mugu is so remote that there are no roads leading to it. Food is hard to come by, and there is no access to medical care. School education is not even provided, especially for girls. Most of the people there cannot read or write, and girls are expected to be married by the age of 15.

At the age of ten, Sunakali saw a football player for the first time. Three years later, the organization „Good Neighbors International“ organized a football match for Nepalese girls. Sunakali was selected as one of 15 members for a football team. The girls trained at an elevation of 3500 meters, had no proper field, and their parents were against girls playing football. However, Sunakali and her friends were determined and would wake up every morning to train in the deep snow.

When the first match arrived, Sunakali and her friends had to convince their parents to allow them to go. The parents agreed, with the condition that the girls had to win to avoid bringing shame upon Mugu. However, the girls lost the first game. It was only in the second game, which required a two-day journey to get there, that their team surprisingly won. Sunakali scored the final goal, and when the girls returned home, they were received like heroes. They were even allowed to ride horses back home – something that was usually strictly forbidden for women. Sunakali’s unconventional path to becoming a football star was documented in the award-winning movie „Sunakali.“ Her daily life has changed little since then. She still helps her parents, gathers food for the animals, and works hard every day. Many of her football friends are now married, but football has shown her a different path.

Sunakali – Trailer

Greta Thunberg

Who would be surprised to see that young woman on the list of young world-changers?

On a Friday in the summer of 2018, 15-year-old Greta Thunberg had had enough. Climate change had been a problem for years, yet adults didn’t seem to take it seriously. Therefore, she decided to skip school. While others were sitting in their classrooms, she sat in front of the Swedish Parliament in Stockholm with a handwritten sign next to her that said, „School Strike for Climate.“ She called on the Swedish government to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and make a contribution to combating the rising global temperatures.

At first, Greta was alone in her endeavor, but soon she gained the attention of her classmates, and later the media. Inspired by her message to governments worldwide – „You are stealing our future“ – tens of thousands of students around the globe began organizing similar school strikes. The movement became known as „Fridays for Future,“ and Greta quickly became famous.

Greta was an unconventional superstar. During her childhood, she felt invisible and was often bullied for being too shy. It was later discovered that she has Asperger’s syndrome, which means that she finds it hard to let go of a topic and tends to see things in black and white. Greta regarded her condition as a gift, as it allowed her to be unapologetic and laser-focused on her goals.

Like many other children, she had seen TV documentaries about melting polar ice caps and the extinction of species. However, unlike other children, Greta couldn’t banish these horrifying images from her consciousness. She became depressed, stopped eating and talking, and would only communicate with her parents and one teacher. During that time, she pushed her family to change their lifestyle. Because of her, they stopped eating meat, got an electric car, and convinced her mother, who traveled the world as an opera singer, not to fly – a particularly challenging decision. The support of her family helped Greta feel validated and pushed her further toward her goals. She herself never flies and lives a vegan lifestyle. Since gaining international recognition, Greta has spoken at climate events all around the world, met several important politicians, and even Pope Francis. Greta is a great example of what happens when a person refuses to be deterred from their vision – a true inspiration.

These kids teach us that small actions can have a big impact. Let us know in the comments what change you would like to see in the world!