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Drivers of Change Mauritius: Johanne Rannoojee...

Mauritius: Johanne Rannoojee


Date: June 18, 2019

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Name Johanne
Surname Rannoojee
Country Mauritius
Give a short history of the leader My first encounters with social injustice, racism and rejection happened at a very early stage in my life, when I would visit my grandparents in a place called Barkly. For decades on, Barkly had been looked down upon due to the fact that drug abuse, violence and poverty were a part of the realities of this “deprived” area.Yet, because I had had the chance to meet and interact with the inhabitants of this locality, I knew there was so much more to this place than the media would portray. I therefore spent much of my teenage years in this area, learning from my elders, taking part in social & community activities and giving a hand at the Centre of Learning, Barkly – a place that will always be dear to my heart. This life-changing experience opened my eyes to the fact that small steps matter as I slowly began to witness community advancement and positive change, year after year.

I progressively came to the realisation that service was part of my DNA and felt that, as a young person, I had the responsibility to do everything in my power to identify social problems together with my age mates and to come up with relevant and sustainable solutions for the betterment of our area.
Objectives “I fiercely believe in people’s potential and I am advocate of selflessly giving back to the community. I am deeply driven by the idea of moving forward together.”
Key activities I started off in 2012 at the Centre of Learning, providing academic support to children. In March 2018, I worked at an NGO called “Kolektif Rivier Nwar”, where we promoted Women Entrepreneurs through the ‘Koze Fam Rivier Nwar’ campaign.From 2018, I work as an English teacher for 10 to 68 year olds at the Centre of Learning. Simultaneously, I provide support to promote the Centre of Learning and communicate about their projects and activities within the community. Simultaneously, keeping my dance passion alive, I volunteer as a dance teacher for children ages between 4-16 years, where I teach them the art of Ballet and Fusion.
However, my work has not only been limited to Mauritius. I was heavily engaged with the ‘World’s Organisation of Students and Youth ‘ in Pune, India during my studies at Pune University.Additionally, I have been a LEO Club member for more than 10 years now. LEO is a youth-led service programme that falls under the Lions Club International (LCI). Our aim is to make our communities better, cleaner and safer through small social projects we set up on our own or with the help of stakeholders. On April 7 to mark the International LEO Day and Earth Day 2019, a Beach Clean-up was held at La Cambuse. More than 150 kg of trash was collected and redistributed to companies/ NGOs specialised in Recycling.
Key challenges N/A

Results
Change at the individual level Last April, I had the immense honour to be a part of this year’s edition of the TEDxALC’s international guest speakers. Throughout my speech, I explored the many reasons why I felt Africa and Asia can offer those who aspire to pursue their higher studies abroad, a life-changing cultural immersion, a deeper understand of the socio-economic opportunities and markets. This event gave me the chance to interact with a forward-thinking community of people from across borders but also to set a new trend in the way young africans see Africa and Asia.
Evidence of change at the individual level N/A
Change at the household level N/A
Evidence of change at the household level N/A
Change at institutional level N/A
Evidence of change at institutional level N/A
Change at a policy level N/A
Evidence of change at a policy level N/A
Capacity building With the resources at hand, the wealth of
knowledge we have access to and the right amount of will, I believe it is possible to create a society ruled by equal opportunities for men and women, where Education (both academic and non-academic) is made accessible to one and all and where discrimination does not exist.I also believe that through social activism and community empowerment, we can adequately protect our resources and reduce our impact on the environment through strong, long-term actions.
Lessons learned and shared N/A
Next Steps Future Plans:
Youth Political Literacy
Setting up a social media platform called “La Politique Expliquée aux Jeunes” so as to contribute to political literacy among the Mauritian youth and lead them to make educated political choices. (By August 2019)Youth & Human Empowerment through Arts
Setting up the first Dance Academy in Barkly and promoting Arts as a promising career avenue
Getting my books published
I am currently writing a novel about Barkly and working on a motivational piece called “How to Survive Your 20s” (Beginning of 2020)


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