Empowering Young Leaders to Be the Change
The YMCA Change Agent program is a global leadership development initiative designed to empower young leaders as changemakers within their own communities.
About Change Agents
The YMCA Change Agent program is a global leadership initiative designed to equip young YMCA volunteers and staff with the skills and confidence to become changemakers in their communities. Through a blend of training, coaching, mentoring, and local project development, participants grow as leaders while strengthening the YMCA movement.
Now in its sixth cohort, the program brings together young leaders from around the world to engage in both online and in-person experiences. They collaborate in action learning teams based on shared interests and regions, working on projects aligned with the YMCA Vision 2030 Pillars of Impact.
YMCA Madagascar proudly counts 11 Change Agents among the nearly 900 young leaders from over 67 countries who have taken part in the program since its launch in 2012.
Meet Our Cohorts
Get to know the young leaders from YMCA Madagascar who are part of this global program!
Tendry Asimbola RAZAFISOAHANANA is a renewable energy engineer and graduate of the École Supérieure Polytechnique d’Antsiranana. A dedicated member of YMCA Madagascar since 2013, he has mentored young people through various initiatives… from education and reforestation to leadership and music, notably founding the Y-Kalo club within YMCA Carion. As president of YMCA Carion, advisor to the National Executive Board of YMCA Madagascar and now a global Change Agent Cohort-VI.
Tendry Asimbola RAZAFISOAHANANA
Change Agent Cohort-VI
Mialy Sombiniaina Rakotondrasoa is a passionate young leader and active member of YMCA Madagascar since 2016. She began her journey as a member of the Y-English Club to improve her English skills and quickly grew into leadership roles, serving as program coordinator and facilitating sessions on conflict management, self-awareness, and life skills. Mialy has represented YMCA internationally as a Young Advocate for Change (YAC) across three African countries, developing intercultural understanding, flexibility, and adaptability. After serving as Africa S2C Ambassador Cohort-V, she has now been appointed as a World YMCA Change Agent Cohort-V, continuing to empower young people and strengthen leadership skills within her community.
Mialy Sombiniaina RAKOTONDRASOA
Change Agent Cohort-V
Sarah Ravakiniaina has been a member of YMCA Madagascar since 2021. She began her journey through the Y-Citizen Camp III in Morondava. At that time, she was simply a regular member. She attended several clubs, such as the Y-English Club, Y-Movie Club, Y-Investment Club, and Y-Quad Club. In 2022, she became a board member of the Y-English Club. During that period, she represented the club at the YMCA General Assembly in Antsirabe. Then, in 2023, she was elected leader of the club, along with a newly formed team. Since then, she has been eager to deepen her leadership skills. She applied for the Change Agent Program and, in 2024, was selected as a member of Cohort V.
Sarah RAVAKINIAINA
Change Agent Cohort-V
Nalisoa Andrianarivo became a member of YMCA Madagascar when she first joined the Y-Urban Environment Club in 2016 and later joined the club’s board in 2017. The following year, she was selected to join the third cohort of the African Alliance of YMCAs’ Young Advocates for Change program, through which she worked in Zimbabwe for five months. Upon returning to Madagascar, she co-founded the Y-Quizz Club following the first edition of Africa Quizz, organized during African Youth Day in 2018. This club, which later merged with Y-Acting and Y-Documentary, is now known as the Y-Quad Club. In 2019, she was selected as one of the S2C Ambassadors of the African Alliance of YMCAs and, in the same year, also joined the fourth cohort of Change Agents of the World Alliance of YMCAs.
Nalisoa ANDRIANARIVO
Change Agent Cohort-IV
Tsikiniaina Andriherindrainy is currently the National General Secretary of YMCA Madagascar. His journey began as a financial officer in 2012. Through this role, he gained an inside perspective on the challenges of a youth-focused organization. It was soon recognized that his contribution could extend beyond managing finances, as the mission to empower young people and build resilient, caring communities was actively supported. In 2017, he was selected to join the YMCA Global Change Agent Cohort-III program. More than just training, this opportunity was experienced as a life-changing moment for him, where leadership, communication, and advocacy skills were developed. Today, a dedicated team is led by him to create opportunities for youth employment, skills development, and stronger communities across Madagascar. As he affirms: “I believe: if I can grow and transform, every young person can too.”
Tsikiniaina ANDRIHERINDRAINY
Change Agent Cohort-III
