Meet the 25 Youth Leaders
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Zinnea Ethel Rivas - El Salvador
Zinnea Ethel Rivas is a 25-year-old from San Salvador, the capital city of El Salvador. When she was 15 she was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, and for the last six years she has volunteered extensively for the Associación Salvadoreña de Diabéticos, or the diabetes association in El Salvador which is commonly referred to as ASADI. “I explain to people that the most important treatment in diabetes is the education,” she said.
At ASADI, Zinnea helps with the planning of camps for children and teenagers, educational activities which are held each month, holiday parties for families, and seminars about diabetes specifically for the parents of children with diabetes. She also travels across El Salvador with her fellow volunteers to meet the families of children with diabetes, providing them with support and what assistance they can.With her church Zinnea, also helps to obtain and distribute food, clothes and shoes to poor children who live on the streets. “They need…principally a lot of love.” When her church first asked her to help with this activity, Zinnea said, “I accepted because it’s very important to…work for the forgotten people in our country.”
Leading with her own example, Zinnea tells other youth that in volunteering “it’s not important the role that you play, if your wish is to help other people.”
Zinnea recently obtained her degree in business administration, and lives with her parents and two sisters. Her charm, compassion and dedication make Zinnea a loved and valued member of the International Diabetes Federation’s Youth Leaders.
