IVLP Impact Award alumni are making a difference around the world and Utah is helping play a part in their story of success. We analyzed data from dozens of award recipients and found that Utah has a major influence when it comes to journalistic integrity, youth empowerment, cybersecurity, entrepreneurship and more. If you want to see our full infographic click here. We also want to share three quick stories that demonstrate the impact that Utah has in making a safer, stronger, and more prosperous America.
Meet Aigerim Janalinova, an entrepreneur from Kazakhstan and IVLP Impact Award recipient. Ms.Janalinova came to Utah to discover more about entrepreneurship with the goal of bringing back what she learned to increase the number of entrepreneurs in rural areas of Kazakhstan. Thanks to her experience with Utah Global Diplomacy, and funding from Meridian and the US State Department, she was able to create a project that launched training sessions and podcast episodes on the subject of entrepreneurship.
As a result of her project, the registered number of entrepreneurs in the rural areas of Kazakhstan rose from 95 to 275 in 2023 alone. Speaking about the impact of Utah on her project, she said that “the insights shared by a remarkable speaker like Professor Franz Kolb from Utah resonated deeply, reminding me that small actions can lead to significant impacts.”
Utah had a positive influence on the work of Patricia Kombo, a celebrated environmentalist from Kenya, as well. Ms.Kombo is the founder of the PaTree Initiative and was awarded the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) Land Hero award in 2021.
She credits her experience at the Wilkes Center for Climate Science and Policy at the University of Utah for inspiring her to create environmental hackathon events at local schools in Kenya. Because of her hackathons, approximately 5,000 students from across Kenya were able to learn about the impact of their environment and how they can better improve their surroundings.
Another project directly influenced by Utah was created by Chukwumerije Okereke from Nigeria. Mr.Okereke is the Director of the Centre for Climate Change and Development at Alex Ekwueme Federal University Ndufu-Alike and a Visiting Professor at the London School of Economics and Senior Academic Visitor at the University of Oxford.
His IVLP Impact Award funded a training initiative for thirty young leaders on the damage caused by pollution in urban areas and the potential positive contribution of urban green spaces. Mr. Okereke remarked that his “project idea was born in Salt Lake City, Utah” where he was able to interact “with several organizations that are working hard to call attention to the challenge of air pollution in the state.” Because of these experiences he was able to “gain a much stronger realization of the dangers of air pollution and the need to engage citizens in advocacy for air pollution."
It is incredible to see the impact that Utah is having on visitors from around the world! Thanks to dedicated speakers, volunteers, and community members Utah is fostering positive change from Kenya to Kazakhstan.
