Diego Fernandez Irrazabal is a 19-year-old changemaker from Paraguay who won the 2024 AFS Award for Young Global Citizens at the AFS Youth Assembly in August in New York City. Diego’s project, Mbaretics, brings potable and safe water to Chaco residents who deal with salted water.
Mbaretics is a portable desalination device powered by solar panels. It uses an inverse osmosis system that puts high pressure on water to remove any type of contaminants, including salt. The device is about the same size as a suitcase, and it has wheels so that Chaco residents can easily bring it wherever they need it. Diego’s project addresses the UN Sustainable Development Goal 6: Clean Water and Sanitation.
Diego comes from Fernando de la Mora, Paraguay and is deeply passionate about tackling the global water crisis and the pressing issue of climate change. While he studied electronics in high school, his current interests lie at the intersection of engineering, environmental science, and human behavior.
Diego is pursuing undergraduate studies at the University of Pennsylvania, where he aims to explore innovative research and sustainable solutions. His ultimate goal is to create a platform that empowers students from underserved backgrounds, enabling them to develop their ideas and realize their potential.
“Being selected as the winner of the AFS Award means that people are recognizing that the water crisis is real and will affect many countries around the world. On a brighter note, it means that we are starting to look for solutions that will aid the future water crisis. Putting this issue in the spotlight was one of my main goals from the start of Mbaretics. I want to believe that in the future we will see other youngsters also looking out for the water sources we have,” shared Diego upon winning the AFS Award.
The AFS Award was presented at the 2024 AFS Youth Assembly. Diego shared more about his experience at this event and advice he has for other young changemakers worldwide:
“I enjoyed getting to know so many amazing people from around the world who also work on projects to solve issues in their communities. I think it channels the statement that young people are going to change the world, but they are already doing that now. The different events offered through the Academy also gave me the opportunity to visit and know places I never thought I would, like the United Nations headquarters. I am so grateful that I got to experience all of this and more at the Youth Assembly.
The one piece of advice I want to give out for young people is a phrase by Eduardo Galeano that says, ‘A lot of little people in little places doing little things can change the world.’ Never doubt yourself and what you’re doing now. If you believe that what you are doing is not changing anything, let me tell you that you are truly making a change. Never let anyone hold you down. Keep on making a difference in the world because it’s better to take action than to not take any.”
The AFS Award for Young Global Citizens recognizes young people for their commitment to improving the global community and whose actions contribute to a more just, peaceful, and tolerant world. The winner receives a $10,000 prize. The Award is given to a Youth Assembly delegate who:
- Demonstrates how their project is successfully addressing a pressing global issue, tackling one or more of the challenges outlined by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, and what this translates into in real-life impacts.
- Shows how their project successfully engages others outside their own community/culture and how this aspect is crucial to advancing their work. Projects must rely on intercultural understanding and global competence.
- Articulates how their initiative has significant potential to be scaled up and extended.
Past winners of the AFS Award for Young Global Citizens include: