Tag: international services

Leading with Purpose: Meet Makayla Anderson, Red Cross Youth Powerhouse 

When Makayla Anderson first applied to volunteer with the Red Cross, she was 14 years old, shy, and just starting high school. A phone call with a Volunteer Services screener turned into a life-shaping conversation—one that set her on a path she never expected. “I wasn’t sure I could help because of my age and little experience,” Makayla recalls. “But he said, ‘I believe in you and you will go far.’ That moment meant everything.” 

And go far, she has. 

Over the last four years, Makayla has become a driving force in youth engagement with the Red Cross—founding a club at her virtual high school, starting the region’s Youth and Young Adult Council (YAYAC), and stepping into national roles including her current position as a Youth Action Campaign (YAC) Intern with the International Humanitarian Law (IHL) team. Along the way, she’s brought creativity, courage, and compassion into everything she does. 

Makayla pictured with fellow members of the Red Cross Minnesota and Dakota’s Youth and Young Adult Council (YAYAC). Pictured left to right: Erik, Jay, Joel, Makayla, Shaivi and Alan (not pictured Nuna and Dawson). Photo submitted.

Finding Her Voice Through Service

Makayla’s journey began with behind-the-scenes support in Volunteer Services—working in Volunteer Connection and helping screen new volunteers. She gradually took on more responsibility, eventually creating her own Red Cross club at school and joining the IHL Youth Action Campaign. That’s when things clicked. 

“I never thought I was really interested in law,” she says. “But hearing from speakers at the national YAC Summit and working 1-on-1 with Red Cross staff opened my eyes to a new way of leadership.” 

It was also where she learned how to blend purpose and creativity—skills that came to life in her standout YAC project: a virtual art show on the theme of nuclear conflict. As a lifelong artist, Makayla leaned into her passions and invited others to explore difficult topics through visual expression. The show reached across the globe—from Minnesota to Dubai—and included an educational presentation on IHL and the role of art in activism. 

Makayla’s engagement on social media plays a key role in promoting the activities and programs of the region’s Youth and Young Adult Council (YAYAC).


Creating Change, One Youth at a Time 

After seeing the difference youth leaders were making in other regions, Makayla realized her own region was missing a critical piece: a strong network for youth engagement. Rather than waiting for someone else to fill that gap, she helped build the Minnesota and Dakotas Youth and Young Adult Council (YAYAC) from the ground up.  

“I don’t think it has too much to do with how confident you are with yourself,” she reflects. “It’s about your ability to take action and how well you understand the steps it takes. If you care enough about something, you just start eating it a bite at a time.” 

She’s now leading the council with big goals: to grow awareness, host engaging events, and make sure the youth voice is part of Red Cross decisions across departments. 

Wisdom Beyond Her Years

Makayla has also faced her share of challenges—especially working in adult-dominated spaces. “The biggest thing to remember is to listen and learn,” she says. “You don’t need to be the loudest in the room to make an impact.” 

She’s found guidance in mentors like Mark Giammona, Ashley Sheehy, and Tracy Elder, and credits them with shaping both her leadership style and her vision for the future. “I’m a Nursing Assistant now,” she says, “but I have high hopes of getting a job with the Red Cross in IHL one day. This work brings me a sense of fulfillment I haven’t found anywhere else.” 

Makayla pictured with one of her mentors Mark Giammona, Volunteer Engagement for the Minnesota and Dakotas Region, whose guidance has helped shape her leadership style and inspired her vision for the future

Fueling Her Fire

While much of her free time goes toward volunteering, Makayla still makes time for creative pursuits. She’s a published poet and an avid dog walker, often spotted strolling around town with her pups. “This is my fun!” she laughs. 

And when it comes to advice for other youth thinking about getting involved, her message is clear:  

“Find your passion, run toward it, and don’t take no for an answer. There will be slammed doors and setbacks but remember who you are and why you started.”

Learn more about youth like Makayla making a difference at Red Cross IHL Youth Action Campaign. 

Want to learn more about International Humanitarian Law through the lens of pop culture? Check out our IHL YouTube channel and explore the rules of war through Andor, Star Wars, Saving Private Ryan, Ghostbusters, House of the Dragon, and Godzilla. 

Red Cross Family Tracing Helps Husband and Wife Live Again

With Red Cross help, Abdiaziz Warsame, 35, learned that his wife is alive after being abducted by militia six years ago in Mogadishu, Somalia. He now lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota, with his son. Photo credit: Lynette Nyman/American Red Cross

Abdiaziz Warsame has lived in Minneapolis for the past six years taking care of his son and anticipating a life without his wife, his son’s mother. That was until he reached out to the Red Cross and its family tracing services.

“I am really thankful to the Red Cross for the job they did for me and my family,” says Warsame. “I gave up until the Red Cross found her alive.”

Abducted by militia in Mogadishu, Somalia, there was little reason for Warsame to believe that his wife was anything but dead. He fled with his son to Cairo, Egypt, where he sought refuge with the United Nations. His son’s condition, which includes brain damage and some paralysis, prompted a quick departure for an operation in the United States.

“I will not forget how the Red Cross helped me find my wife and how the Americans have been good to us,” says Warsame.

Abdiaziz Warsame, 35, fled Mogadishu, Somalia, with his son Shamusdin, 10, who has brain damage and paralysis. Red Cross family tracing services helped find Warsame’s wife alive in Somalia. Photo credit: Lynette Nyman/American Red Cross

The Red Cross sent a message from Minneapolis to Washington D.C., to Geneva, Switzerland, and then to the Red Cross in Nairobi, Kenya. From there, the Somali Red Crescent conducted a field search and found Warsame’s wife, Ayan Mohamed, in Mogadishu. They returned a message in the opposite direction that the Red Cross delivered to Warsame in Minneapolis.

The message came with a phone card, which Warsame immediately used to call his wife who had no idea her husband was living in America. Now, Warsame talks on the phone with his wife every day.

“We married for love,” says Warsame. “These six years are like 60 years. For that reason we live when we talk to each other.”

Warsame wants to be reunited with his wife—who also survived a bullet wound with Red Cross medical services in Somalia. “My son always says ‘where’s my mom,’ but I am so happy,” says Warsame. “I have found her now and hope to bring her here.”

Learn more about Red Cross family tracing and international services. Story and photos by Lynette Nyman/American Red Cross, with assistance from Yahye Mohamed/American Red Cross. Posted February 22, 2012