Why I Created Kectil
Sherry M. Knowles created Kectil to identify and nurture highly talented youth in developing countries — young people with the potential to be leaders and make a positive difference in their communities, their countries, and maybe even the world.
The idea
Kectil starts from a simple observation: the world is full of talented, driven young people who need only mentors, training, and a network of peers who believe in them.
Highly talented young people can be found in every country. What many lack is training, professional exposure, and a guided network of similarly talented and passionate peers who support, nurture, teach, and learn from each other as they mature.
Knowing you are embraced and supported by peers in your own country and in other countries is central to a young leader's confidence — the confidence to make a positive difference in your community, your country, and the world.
The Kectil framework is built on the famous African proverb: if you want to go fast, go alone; if you want to go far, go together. The Global Youth Index extends that idea by bringing what Kectil youth are saying to the wider world.
From listening to sharing
For years, the Kectil Program has asked young people in developing countries what they think and what they need. The Global Youth Index makes those answers public — as aggregate research that partners, researchers, and journalists can read and cite — while keeping every participant's individual information private.
