Meet the Generation17 Young Leaders: The Story of Priscilla Efe Johnson

During a community event, Efe discusses her support for the Global Goals.

Harnessing Innovation for Educational Equity
The organization began on a mobile platform in 2017 where Efe connected with other young people in Kaduna State working on gender equity. This online community was empowering for her as a young entrepreneur, and it enabled her to garner the volunteers, resources and funding to officially launch Xari Africa the following year.

Today, technology continues to amplify the nonprofit’s efforts by spreading awareness about its school tours, educational materials and events through social media. It powers their efforts to support the United Nation’s Global Goals, including ending poverty (Goal 1), delivering quality education (Goal 4), achieving gender equality and stopping violence against women and girls (Goal 5).

The school workshops cover everything from birth control to sexual boundaries and disease prevention – a first for the girls. These engaging events are also building a greater sense of community among girls and creating a supportive environment for asking sensitive questions and sharing personal, and sometimes painful, experiences. The workshops have reached more than 4,500 Nigerian students so far.

Crystal, a 15-year-old workshop participant, describes Xari Africa’s visit to her school in 2021 as transformative. “Efe was able to create a space where I could say things that were haunting me inside that I couldn’t say to anyone,” says Crystal. “Now I feel I can inspire other young girls to speak up.”

Despite her organization’s success in Kaduna State, working in conservative and at times in hostile environments, Efe dreams of supporting more girls throughout Africa and beyond. Technology continues to extend Xari Africa’s reach. In 2023, her team launched an online academy to bridge critical gaps in health education worldwide. The growing digital library of interactive courses and imaginative animations allows parents, teachers, advocates and girls to learn about the female body privately without embarrassment or fear.

“The dream is to reach at least a million girls across Africa,” Efe says. “With technology, we can make reproductive and sexual health education more accessible, and we’ll be able to achieve our goal much faster.”

At home in Johannesburg, South Africa, a girl learns about period health using Xari Africa’s online academy.

A Creative Catalyst for Change
To make sexual health education and knowledge accessible to more adolescent girls, Xari Africa published a free menstruation guide, “Just Period It,” that covers pregnancy prevention and hygienic period practices. The nonprofit has distributed 3,500 copies of the book, which uses easy-to-follow storytelling coupled with vibrant, educational visuals to destigmatize and simplify complex topics.

Efe wanted “Just Period It” to be illuminating but also relatable for girls – taboo topics needed to be accessible, as they are an important part of growing up. So, she drew on her personal experience with period shame and touched on common misconceptions about women’s health. She worked closely with a designer on the artwork, blending informational drawings with empowering female imagery.

Xari Africa’s guidebook uses bold, inspiring imagery and an approachable, conversational tone to teach girls about their bodies.

Despite the inherent risks to her and her team’s personal safety while breaking barriers in traditional communities, Efe remains committed to the Global Goals and making the world safer and more equitable for future generations of women and girls. And, in particular, she’s ensuring that the journey from childhood to womanhood is better understood and embraced.

“This fight, this passion, is personal,” Efe says. “I advocate for health education because it’s something I never received, and I’m making a safe space for kids and teens because I didn’t have one. I want better for girls like me.”

To learn more, visit Xari Africa