Summer 2024

A note on Homelessness in America:

Anjie Alade’s nonprofit, Tilhda, focuses on the issue of homelessness, a problem that some may believe is being fully addressed through the efforts of various government and private organizations but is in fact on the rise. According to the Office of Policy Development and Research, more than 770,000 individuals lived in shelters or were homeless in 2024, an 18% increase from 2023. The 2008 financial crisis and COVID-19 were catalysts to this problem, as they contributed to growing levels of poverty, unemployment, and lack of affordable housing, some of the main causes of homelessness, as reported by the National Homelessness Law Center. While this may seem like an issue too complex for the average person to be able to make a difference in, Anjie asserts that anyone and everyone can take small actions to help and with everyone contributing a little bit of hope and work, the result will be a much larger positive effect on homelessness in America. 

What inspired the creation of Tildha?

When I was younger, I often thought, “I’m just a normal girl from Minnesota, what kind of impact could I have on the world?” After an experience during my freshman and sophomore years of high school that caused me to feel isolated, I wanted to spread hope to anyone who may have felt a similar way. When I found growth after my time feeling isolated and not supported, I was able to reach a lot of success and find my path in spreading kindness throughout my community. Now I have so many opportunities to do so. For example, I have been able to write speeches about different human rights issues, write research publications on homelessness in America and policies on the issue, and start Tildha.

What challenges arose with the creation of Tildha?

I knew I wanted to focus on the issue of homelessness but it was hard to find a central focus when I started out. I struggled with finding out what type of events I wanted to run, what kind of partnerships I wanted to create, who I wanted on my team, and how I wanted to approach the mission of Tildha in a way that was attainable and impactful at the same time. I've found that creating a strong foundation for my nonprofit by picking the right team and starting on a smaller scale helped me not only overcome these challenges, but also allowed Tildha to expand into issues other than homelessness. This last summer, we started a podcast where I discuss different human rights issues and encourage people to take action in any way that they can. 

How do you balance running a nonprofit, high school, and other extracurriculars? 

The main thing that pushes me through the tough times is my passion for the work that I do. Almost all the activities I am a part of are connected in some way or another to the topic of human rights and my love for the topic drives me. While it can be stressful sometimes, all these activities have helped me to find my passion in life, and this encourages me to continue them. It also helps that I like to stay busy. 

What advice would you give to youth who would like to start their own nonprofit or youth-led initiative?

To anyone who would like to be a changemaker in any capacity, it is important to remember that age, ethnicity, race, or any other factors like those do not matter, it’s the way you approach making a change that sets you apart. An individual’s mindset, passion, and the utilization of resources around them allow for their initiative to grow to the highest level it can. Don’t be worried about the size of your organization or exactly how many lives you’ve impacted, starting small and expanding from there allows for sustainable growth and positive outreach. Being truthful about what is most important to you and staying true to your values and passions can give you the motivation to keep pushing even when you don’t feel successful. 

How would you suggest a teenager or young adult find their passion?

Getting involved in as many activities or programs that sound even vaguely interesting to me is what I believe helped me find my passion, despite it sounding cliche, I think it’s very important. For example, joining the Speech and Debate Club at my school gave me the opportunity to learn and discuss policies that touched on various Human Rights topics and helped me to find my passion for empowering others. Taking the time to join as many clubs as possible during the early stages of high school helped me realize what major and minor I wanted in college, a political science with a minor in public policy or human rights. And what I want to be in the future, a human rights lawyer.