Kadmiel Van Der Puije at the United Nations Headquarters: Redefining Africa’s Global Voice for a New Generation
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NEW YORK, UNITED NATIONS HEADQUARTERS —In a world where many talk about inclusion, Kadmiel Van Der Puije is building it.
The dynamic CEO of The Voice of Africa (TVOA) — a United Nations and World Bank–accredited platform — took his message of youth empowerment, innovation, and Africa-led development to the global stage at the UN General Assembly (UNGA) Third Committee Youth Event, convened at UN Headquarters in New York.
The event, themed “Building Solutions Together for an Inclusive Future,” brought together the world’s top youth voices, UN officials, and global policymakers to shape a new vision for international cooperation — one where youth are not afterthoughts, but architects.
And that’s exactly the message Van Der Puije came to deliver.
“We, the youth, are no longer waiting for inclusion — we’re building impact from the ground up,” he said. “The question now is not whether young people are ready to lead, but whether institutions like the UN are ready to evolve.”
From Accra to Washington D.C. — and Now, the United Nations
Van Der Puije’s journey is not one of convenience, but conviction. From launching The Voice of Africa as a local newspaper in the washington metropolitan area, he has transformed it into a pan-African media, trade, and development platform reaching over 10 million people monthly — with partnerships spanning the World Bank, NBA Africa, OAFLAD (Organization of African First Ladies), and the Ashoka Diaspora Network.
His inclusion in Ashoka’s African Diaspora Leaders Network, one of the world’s foremost movements for social innovation, further cements his place among a new generation of Africans redefining leadership beyond borders.
“Africa’s next revolution won’t come from aid — it will come from access, creativity, and collaboration,” he shared. “That’s the heartbeat of our generation.”
From Vision to Action
Under Van Der Puije’s leadership, The Voice of Africa has become a bridge between global institutions and grassroots innovators.
- Through The Countess Foundation, one of TVOA’s partners, the 1 Million Women, 1 Million Futures initiative has already trained over 4,000 women in vocational and entrepreneurial skills — scaling toward its continent-wide target.
- Through The Father’s Haven Foundation, he leads an effort to build orphanages across Africa — with successful homes already established in four countries.
- Through TVOA Media, his team is shaping Africa’s digital storytelling frontier, spotlighting African excellence, leadership, and enterprise from Washington to Nairobi.
Each project reflects a unified mission: turning policy into purpose and transforming youth inclusion into youth implementation.
“If the UN wants to rebuild trust,” he emphasized, “it must partner with youth-led models already working. Let us co-design, co-implement, and co-measure results. That’s how you move from policy to purpose — and from token inclusion to true collaboration.”
The Global Stage Is Listening
While he did not deliver his full remarks at the UNGA Third Committee Youth Event, his presence among global peers — from UNDP, UNFPA, and Qatar’s Youth Delegation to the International Disability Alliance — represented something deeper: the arrival of African youth leadership at the highest levels of diplomacy.
From the World Bank Youth Summit to UNGA and beyond, Kadmiel Van Der Puije continues to embody what modern African leadership looks like — rooted in community, driven by creativity, and guided by purpose.
He doesn’t wait for a seat at the table — he builds new ones.
Africa, Experience Africa Tours, The TVOA Trade, Investment & Tourism Forum, and The Ambassador of Africa Program — TVOA connects global partners to Africa’s emerging frontier of youth, innovation, and enterprise.