Issue link: https://takingitglobal.uberflip.com/i/1518729
Muhammad Ansar is a co-founder of Human Nature Projects (HNP) Ontario, a student-led non-profit organization focused on raising awareness about ongoing environmental issues to prompt more sustainable practices, policies, and development. For his Sprout Ideas Fellowship project, Muhammad enlisted the help of the HNP team to spearhead the Youth Environmental Advocacy Fellowship, a week-long mentorship and fellowship program for youth aged 15- 20 to learn about environmental issues faced by Indigenous communities in Canada, conduct research, and propose sustainable policy ideas. The week featured 15 Indigenous speakers, including students and professors. "Even though I had known about the disparities in the health of many Canadian Indigenous communities, the personal stories that were shared with me by Indigenous community members highlighted these disparities in a new light and made them salient." Youth Environmental Advocacy Fellowship MUHAMMAD ANSAR CLIMATE ACTION Muhammad's project is a concrete step towards the SDGs of Clean Water and Sanitation (Goal 6), Reduced Inequalities (Goal 10), Sustainable Cities and Communities (Goal 11), and Climate Action (Goal 13). The project's impact on the 75 participants was evident in their testimonials. One participant shared, "The workshops were a real eye-opener for me because I got to witness firsthand what various Indigenous communities were experiencing. Whether it was wholesome stories or the ones that showed the hardships Indigenous Peoples have to go through, which was really informative for me. As a citizen of Canada, I believe it is important to know such things, especially when it comes to Indigenous Peoples, the rightful owners of our land." Muhammad has no plans of stopping here. "I would love to continue to expand and grow my not-for- profit…. It would be great to host the fellowship at a library in downtown Toronto with no application or admission fees, in order to make the fellowship accessible to as many youth as possible." 31 SPROUT IDEAS FELLOWSHIP IMPACT REPORT