13: Reuben Reeves, Founder of Rehab Africa

UnConventional

In Reuben’s community in Liberia, the majority of youth face poverty and multiple barriers to education – including having to walk miles to attend school. Without an education, young Liberians are often forced to turn to crime, drugs or prostitution. Reuben founded Rehab Africa, a nonprofit organization designed to provide young Liberians an equal opportunity to thrive. Rehab Africa leads events, discussions and workshops to give teens an innovative education and mental health support. The curriculum teaches students skills in technology and entrepreneurship, while encouraging them to improve local issues in their communities. Reuben values a holistic approach, working collaboratively with teachers, families and parents to rehabilitate teens. Rehab Africa has directly worked with 500 teens in Liberia, and will open chapters in Egypt and Uganda in 2020. Reuben is also launching a Global Innovation and Youth Summit in 2020 to promote entrepreneurship, education, tolerance, and to inspire innovative and sustainable ideas towards economic stability and poverty eradication. The Summit will gather hundreds of attendees from Ghana, Tanzania, Nigeria, Chile and the United States in Monrovia, Liberia. By empowering young people to achieve individual success and create larger change, Reuben hopes to repair the broken cycle that exists in impoverished nations.