Youth Advisory Squad (YAS)

YAS is a scholarship and empowerment program aimed at training a group of passionate youth to serve as youth ambassadors, advocates in their schools and communities, and advise OneChild on how we can better engage youth in our work.

From September to June, and mentored by our Youth Empowerment Coordinator, YAS members receive training in public speaking and action-planning; prepare and give presentations on child sex trafficking in their communities, and hold an awareness-raiser or fundraiser in their school. Upon completion of their term, each member receives a scholarship to pursue post-secondary studies.

Our goal is for each YAS member to become an expert on this issue and be able to educate their peers, and schools on the issue through prevention education and youth advocacy.

 

MEET OUR 22-23 SQUAD

Aya ayhem

Hi there! My name is Aya Ayhem and I am a grade 11 student. I am on the path to becoming a lawyer to help fight for those suffering injustices. I have always found that I possess a passion for advocacy and fighting for what’s right and found a great opportunity at YAS. I’m thrilled to be a part of YAS and its campaign to eradicate SEC because I genuinely think that the youth have the ability to address societal injustices. Through my work with YAS, I intend to have a good impact on SEC survivors and inspire more young people in my community to speak up.

Olamide Fadahunsi

My name is Olamide Fadahunsi. I am a grade 11 student in Sudbury. I joined YAS so I could do my part to fight against child sex trafficking, I believe that people all around the world deserve to live the life of their dreams and no one’s dreams involves them being sexually trafficked especially not children.

Divnoor Mashiana

Hi there, my name is Divnoor!! I am a grade 10 student always ready for an adventure! I am forever grateful for having opportunities like YAS to make our world a better place! I believe that we are the future. From rollerblading to basketball nothing is better than to see someone smile! I hope to empower others to help end child exploration and equally I hope to become a better person along the way!

Zoe Dumesnil

Hi everyone!  My name is Zoe. I’m a grade 12 student in the GTA.  I’m an enthusiastic student eager to be able to work with other students passionate about taking action against the exploitation of children. I believe that, as a child, having a voice in this mission is important to helping children who are being exploited.  I’m very excited to be a part of YAS which provides me the opportunity to be able to learn further on the topic as well as raise awareness in order to help my community.

Mariana Dominguez

Hello everyone!! My name is Mariana Dominguez and I am a grade 11 student that is very passionate about social justice issues such as SEC. I believe that we can all advocate and be a voice for the greater good. I am one of the youth that believes that my generation can make an impact and can better our world. I joined YAS in hopes of helping SEC survivors and to inform our communities about this social issue going on. I aspire to use my voice to make a good impact in this world 🙂

Ocean Ruel

Hi! My name is Ocean Ruel , I am in grade 10. I’ve always had a passion for educating on social justice issues and learning about them, with YAS I hope to be able to educate about the issues that aren’t talked about or even mentioned  as much as they deserve and should be.

Lola Bullock-Castillo

Hey everyone! My name is Lola, and I am a grade 9 student at a Catholic Secondary School. I first joined YAS because I am extremely passionate about social justice issues around the world and in my community. I felt like this would be a great opportunity to help make a difference in this world with a team of like-minded individuals who are as dedicated as myself. I am excited to educate myself on more of these topics and learn new skills I can carry with me into adulthood. With this, I hope to encourage others to take a stand for something they believe in.

Nusaiba Fatima

Hi, my name is Nusaiba Fatima and I am in grade 11. I took the opportunity to join YAS in hopes to educate myself and others about the issues of sexual exploitation. I would love to be able to make a change in my community and stand up for those in need of it! 

Mathura Manoranjan

Hey! My name is Mathura, and I am in the 11th grade. Social justice and activism are two things that have always driven me. I joined YAS in the hopes of battling against sexual exploitation and engaging others my age in a subject that deserves to make headlines. YAS is a fantastic platform for youth to speak up, particularly in the face of challenges that affect us today.

Puneet singh

HI! I’m Puneet Singh and I am an eleventh grade student in Brampton, Ontario. I am a passionate and enthusiastic student and love using my skills to help out others. By working with YAS, I want help spread awareness about the sexual exploitation of children and aid in the fight against this issue.

Irene Ding

Hi everyone! I’m Irene, a grade 10 student in Scarborough! I’m very enthusiastic about social advocacy, specifically on topics involving today’s youth! I joined YAS so that I can get learn more about and get involved in child sex trafficking! ?

Ohanna Kang

Hey, my name’s Ohanna (she/her), ‘Hana’ for short! I’m a grade 11 student aiming to involve myself in active learning of SEC and utilize my voice in the fight to combat human trafficking. Every child deserves the right to safety and protection from abuse, so I joined YAS to be part of a team of young advocates for change and make an impact on our community through education and awareness. 

Ritisha Garg

Hi everyone! My name is Ritisha, and I’m a passionate and hardworking teenager wanting to make this world a safer and equitable place for all. Upon attending a presentation done by OneChild Network and learning about child sex trafficking, I became invested in advocating against it. I’ve joined YAS to be among the like-minded Youth who constantly work hard to educate and empower other Youth to raise their voices! 

komolafe queen heritage

Hi, my name is Komolafe Queen heritage and I am in grade 11. I am a very giving person who enjoys working alongside like minded people who want to make a difference in the community.  I joined YAS to become a part of the change the world needs in stopping child sex trafficking. I have been passionate about being an advocate for important topics like this and when I heard about YAS, I took initiative and joined to make a difference in the community and help as many people as I can, one step at a time.

Here’s what YAS has to say about our program..

“In my time with YAS I also picked up new public speaking skills which I will use with me forever. The things I liked about the program are how safe and welcomed I felt. How each meeting we didn’t just jump into work but we actually got to know other YAS members. I liked how the work that we did with YAS was helpful and that our speeches gave other people knowledge on the topic. One person who watched my speech even told me that he learned a lot about child sex trafficking and how the speeches really helped. Going forward, even though my time with YAS is over I will still be a YAS alumni and will always vouch for the organization and encourage others to join. ”

“OneChild presented so many opportunities for YAS and always kept us so heavily involved which was so uplifting, made our passions grow further, and was overall beneficial to us personally as well as to OneChild by enabling it to stay up to date with current trends and to be as user friendly as possible in order to keep the youth involved as much as possible. Which is also what makes YAS so recommendable. You ALWAYS feel heard, you and your ideas are never belittled, you never feel like you’re in the dark, are always presented with various opportunities, and become so educated along the way”

 

“YAS really teaches valuable skills that nobody else is teaching youth. It tells youth that they can be the solution, they can be the answer, and that they have a role in the fight against this issue. “

Contact Us

8865 Woodbine Avenue
Unit D3, Suite 124,
Markham, ON
L3R 5G1 Canada

OneChild Network & Support Inc. is a registered Canadian charity: No. 831160544RR0001

General Inquiries: info@onechild.ca
Youth Inquiries: youth@onechild.ca

1.905.886.2222

General Inquiries: info@onechild.ca
Youth Inquiries: youth@onechild.ca

1.905.886.2222