Inclusion
My name is Harunah Damba. I am an alumnus of the NGL program. I have been a part of this program since 2021, as the only fellow with a disability.
I was born without a disability, until the age of 15, when my life changed in an instant. A sudden illness left me with hearing and physical disabilities that would forever alter the way I moved through the world. I was no longer the same person who ran, played football, and lived like everyone else. For years, I struggled with the changes in my body and the limitations they imposed, unsure of where I fit into a world that didn’t seem to make room for people like me.
In March of 2021, I was fortunate to be selected for the NGL program, an opportunity that would forever change the way I looked at myself. This opportunity not only allowed me to be mentored by some of the world’s leading experts but also prepared me for a major presentation at the Talloires Network Leaders Conference (TNLC). Until that point, my leadership experience had been limited to my campus and local community, but this opportunity allowed me to expand my leadership abilities on a global scale.
In the program, I was the only fellow with a disability, and through every workshop and conversation with the other participants, I felt a shift. The image of a ‘leader’ never looked like me! Perhaps this reflected the uncomfortable truth that I had never seen my disability as part of my strength.
The first time I had the opportunity to showcase this strength was when I presented at a conference, and I was terrified. Public speaking had always been daunting, and with my hearing disability, I feared being judged before my words were even heard. But as I found my voice, I realized it had power. I wasn’t defined by my disability—I was defined by my ideas. I spoke passionately about the changes I wanted to see in the world, changes for people like me, and suddenly, I felt a new kind of strength. I saw a future I had never allowed myself to dream of before.
In 2022, I had the opportunity to fly to the United States, a culmination of many years of commitment to working virtually, sharing ideas and thoughts that led to our eventual gathering there. Traveling to the U.S. for the first time was an entirely different kind of awakening. The way people saw me was different from how I had experienced it back home. There, I was seen as capable, valuable, and someone who could achieve great things. It dismantled every limiting belief I had carried for years. It showed me that the only thing standing in my way was the perception that I was ‘less than.’
In 2023, we gathered again in the U.S. I worked alongside young people from all over the world to design the For Youth, By Youth movement—a global initiative aimed at creating a more inclusive world where young people can dream big, learn more, and become more.
Our time at Essex Woods, gathered around the campfire and connecting with the earth and ether elements, was invaluable. It taught me the true meaning of leadership—not about having all the answers, but about working together to find solutions, staying rooted in the present, and envisioning the future.
With the support of partners like the Mastercard Foundation, we’ve made significant strides, and the For Youth, By Youth movement will be launching this year. We are targeting young leaders from marginalized backgrounds, with 15-20% of them consisting of people with disabilities. We’re committed to replicating the success of the NGL program and shining a light on the voices of those who have made this possible.
My participation in the NGL program has affirmed my belief that true community inclusion is achieved when we work together, and no one is too disabled, nor too queer, to make a contribution.
In the NGL program, we challenged the negative stereotypes and low expectations often imposed on those from marginalized backgrounds. What I once thought was impossible is now my mission. If you can feel it, you can become it. And I am proof that no dream is too big when you have the courage to pursue it.