Person in Focus – November Tales: Briana Zafiu, Editorial & Communications Intern
Chapter One: Setting the Game A lot of the life we live tends to be decided by others. Sometimes, the path we take starts forming when we’re still too young to make our own choices. “All of my friends are going to this school”, “My teacher signed me up for this chemistry competition”, or even […]
Person in Focus – The Stories We Carry in October: Part IV
Chapter Four: Making Room for More What began as a one-year adventure in Sweden gradually became something much bigger. Our family was growing, new opportunities were emerging, and the early foundations of NYSA were beginning to take shape. But as we built our future in Sweden, another part of my upbringing would find its way […]
Person in Focus – The Stories We Carry in October: Part III
The Stories We Carry Chapter Three: One Year, Twelve Suitcases Moving to Sweden was never part of some carefully constructed long-term plan. It began with a few work opportunities for Owen, some conversations about what life in another country might look like, and eventually a decision to give it a go. I had visited Sweden […]
Person in Focus – The Stories We Carry in October: Part II
Chapter Two: When Someone Hands You the Keys At 17, I was given the keys to a retail store in Norwich. Even writing that now feels slightly strange, because at the time I do not remember thinking there was anything particularly remarkable about it. I was still studying for my A levels, still very young, […]
September Reflections: Showing Up
September brought people. Eleven new interns joined NYSA, ambassadors moved from paperwork into practice, clubs opened their doors, and conversations that had been quietly developing for months started to take on a clearer shape. It was a month that felt less like planning and more like things actually beginning. Growth Happens in the Room Looking […]
Person in Focus -The Stories We Carry in October: Lucy Southgate, COO
Person in Focus is an invitation to slow down and enter the quiet depths of human nature. Each month, one voice takes the stage, not through bold headlines or bright highlights, but through honest words, laid out like a journal page. Week by week, we make it our mission to share real and raw stories. […]
Reflections from Benin: Sport, Leadership and Partnership
Reflections from Benin: Sport, Leadership and Partnership When I look back on our time in Benin, I see a powerful example of why NYSA exists. – Emma Cotterill Sport for good and sport for development are central to our mission. We believe sport can be a vehicle for joy, play, creativity, exploration, learning and growth. […]
The Street Owns No Children – Ethiopia Trip
The Street Owns No Children Godana lij yelem; the street owns no children. The words followed the NYSA Sweden team through Addis Ababa. Simple in translation, heavier in meaning, they became a way of understanding the work taking place around Onesimus Children’s Development Association (OCDA), NYSA’s local partner in Ethiopia. For more than twenty years, […]
Owen Southgate Sabbatical
NYSA Sweden Leadership Update Next steps for our Founder We would like to share an important leadership update at NYSA Sweden. Our Founder, Owen Southgate, will be taking a 12-month sabbatical from 1 April 2026. This period will provide an opportunity for reflection and renewed perspective, supporting both personal and long-term strategic development. Since founding […]