At Misongi, supporting students goes beyond helping them access higher education. The goal is also to help them develop their skills, pursue their ambitions and, in turn, create a positive impact in their communities.
The journey of Glory Divine Yougang Tahon, a Misongi alumna who graduated from Smith College in May 2026, is a powerful example. Originally from Bafoussam, Cameroon, she founded Educate Young Girls (EYG), an organization working to support girls’ education, learning opportunities and greater independence.
From an initial initiative launched during her time at Smith College to an organization now active across several regions of Cameroon, Glory has transformed the opportunities and experiences she gained throughout her academic journey into a project with meaningful social impact.
From Bafoussam to Smith College
Glory grew up in a family of five children in Bafoussam. During her school years, she received a scholarship that funded her education and also allowed her family to devote more resources to the education of her younger brothers.
Encouraged by her parents to pursue her ambitions, she nevertheless saw that not every girl around her had access to the same opportunities. Some of her friends left school at a young age to get married, bringing their education to an early end.
When preparing to study in the United States, Glory received support from Misongi. She explored different opportunities for higher education and gradually became interested in Smith College in Northampton, where she ultimately chose to continue her academic journey.
At Smith College, she studied Computer Science and Psychology. Her college experience also gave her the opportunity to turn a personal concern into a concrete project.
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Educate Young Girls: Turning Personal Experience into Action
During her first year at Smith College, Glory attended a session at the Jill Ker Conway Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center focused on turning personal values and passions into entrepreneurial projects.
The experience prompted her to reflect on her childhood in Cameroon and the educational opportunities she had received.
Her project started simply: Glory launched a fundraiser and raised $300 to purchase notebooks and reproductive health books to send to her hometown.
A local team distributed the resources and organized conversations with girls about the challenges they faced. Encouraged by the initial results, Glory repeated the initiative before deciding to develop it into something more structured.
This is how Educate Young Girls was born.
Supporting Girls’ Education and Empowerment
EYG’s mission goes beyond improving access to school. The organization also works to help girls remain in education and give them more opportunities to build independent futures.
Its initiatives combine girls’ education, reproductive health awareness, vocational training and support toward financial independence.
In summer 2024, EYG launched a pilot program for 16 teenage mothers. Participants received training in different areas of agriculture as well as reproductive health education. Each participant also received a microgrant to start her own business, with continued support from the organization.
In August 2025, a three-year grant enabled the vocational training program to become a full-time initiative and support more young mothers.
Today, EYG continues to work across several interconnected areas: supporting education, developing practical skills and creating the conditions for greater independence.
A Social Entrepreneurship Project Built Through Collaboration
To structure her initiative, Glory joined the Hatchery incubation program at Smith College’s Conway Center, where she worked on the model that would gradually become EYG.
Collaboration with other Misongi alumni also played an important role in developing the project. Together with Britney Sandra Akwan, another Misongi alumna who is currently in her fourth year at Smith College, Glory entered the 2024 Co-Innovate for Joy Challenge under the name JOY Incubator for Women. Their project received an honorable mention and $10,000 in funding.
Glory also collaborated with other Misongi alumni studying at different universities to secure two Projects for Peace awards, bringing an additional $20,000 to support their projects and initiatives.
These collaborations highlight another dimension of the Misongi community: alumni remain connected even after continuing their studies at universities across different campuses. By combining their experiences, networks and skills, they can develop projects and pursue new opportunities together.
Today, EYG brings together more than 100 young volunteers aged 15 to 25 and nearly 700 mentors. The organization is active in three regions of Cameroon and is preparing new initiatives in areas affected by the country’s ongoing crisis.
What began with a small shipment of educational resources to Bafoussam has grown into a social entrepreneurship project supported by an expanding community.
Turning Opportunity into Impact
Glory’s journey shows how educational opportunities can be passed on to others. Having benefited from opportunities that enabled her to pursue her own education, she is now helping create new opportunities for girls who may not have access to the same resources.
This approach reflects the values at the heart of Misongi: pursuing academic excellence, embracing the opportunities offered by higher education and using one’s skills to contribute to projects that positively impact communities.
In May 2026, Glory completed her studies at Smith College, where she studied Computer Science and Psychology. She has since taken the next step in her professional journey and now works in New York, while continuing her commitment to Educate Young Girls.
Her ambition for Educate Young Girls extends beyond its first initiatives in Cameroon: to grow a movement led by young people and women, built around a simple conviction — education should give girls and boys alike the opportunity to shape their own futures.
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