Moses Bomett and the members of Hope 4 Africa are out to show that youth can make a difference.

Bomett, junior in economics, formed the group when he was 16 years old and attending Valley High School in West Des Moines. The club has since expanded to Iowa State and two other schools, and is now a nonprofit organization dedicated to creating a lasting impact on African youth.

The belief “knowledge is power” is the driving force behind Hope 4 Africa, Bomett said.

One in three students in Kenya will not have the chance to go to high school. Those students who are able to receive schooling have limited access to supplies such as textbooks.

Hope 4 Africa works to raise awareness and to provide a better education for youth in Africa.

The club believes lasting positive change will occur for African countries only when the next generation has been provided with proper opportunities for a quality education. More educated people would lead to greater self-sufficiency and improved stability, rather than merely greater reliance on other countries.

“We believe that young people can help other young people,” Bomett said. “We can use the opportunities we have here to make a big impact back in Africa for people the same age we are.”

Bomett said he came to realize through comparing his experiences growing up in Kenya and attending public school in America that quality education is the main difference between the two countries.

Perhaps with quality education about child care, food production or diseases, lasting change could begin to occur for the people of Africa, Bomett said.

Bomett set out to find a solution, to create hope, and with the help of fellow students, created Hope 4 Africa.

Bennett Coffman, sophomore in industrial engineering, was a part of the club at Valley High School and is the current vice president of Hope 4 Africa at Iowa State.

“I was really inspired by Moses’ message, and I wanted to help people in a different way,” Coffman said. “At our meetings we thrive off of creative and fun ideas and ways to raise money. So when you come to our meetings, you really feel like you have a voice. Anyone can ask for money, but we try to do so in creative ways.”

“Outside of that, it’s great just knowing you are making a difference in children’s lives,” Coffman said. “$15 sponsors an African student for a month. This club is all about giving a little to help a lot.”

Hope 4 Africa has hosted campus events such as Tie Dye 4 Hope, Valentines 4 Hope and Cocoa 4 Hope.

Hunger-Out 4 Hope, a 12-hour event put on by the organization, will happen April 22. Participants will raise money for the event, at which they will join in activities such as painting murals or writing letters to African students, all while abstaining from food and drink except water to place themselves in the shoes of African children who don’t have food.