Beirut, Lebanon: JCI Lebanon is delighted to announce that Christopher Arida is one of the 2021 Ten Outstanding Young Persons (TOYP) of the World! Christopher has made history as the first ever Lebanese TOYP honoree, having been nominated under the category of Business, Economic and/or Entrepreneurial Accomplishment.
JCI TOYP Honorees are normally selected by public voting, as well as a panel of esteemed judges. This year’s judges included 2021 JCI President Ryubun Kojima, BNI Chairman and CEO Graham Weihmiller, JCI Ambassador Katherine Sparkes and Brainswork GmbH Chief Visionary Officer Sven Damm.
“I am honored to represent the strength, resiliency and perseverance of Lebanese young leaders. I hope to inspire others not only to become good at what they do, but become the best in the world. Thank you for those who supported me and special thanks to the JCI team who have worked hard to highlight Lebanese talent and make us shine globally,” said Christopher.
Marie Khalife, 2021 TOYP Lebanon Director, said “I’m so incredibly proud of the Lebanese youth and pleased to see a Lebanese among the 2021 TOYP Honorees, a first in Lebanon’s history! This is a symbol of hope for the country and a testament that even during the most difficult situations, inspirational moments arise.”
Christopher is an entrepreneur and environmental activist with a passion for social contribution. In January 2020, working with three municipalities and over 750 households, he invested in a small waste sorting facility and provided door-to-door waste collection service for over a year. However, when it became clear that the current situation and COVID-19 pandemic would make this venture a very challenging one, Christopher set out to automate waste management activities using AI software. He developed a concept – Diwama –which is now in the top eight startups in the final phase at the Berytech Accelerator. It has been supported and funded by various organizations around the world such as Plug and Play, Alliance to End Plastic Waste, Veolia Middle East Spark Accelerator, Makesense, Ma’an Social Incubator, Astrolabs, Global Incubator Network in Austria, and many others.
To learn more about Christopher and the other TOYP Honorees, visit https://toyp.jci.cc/
About JCI:
Founded over 100 years ago, Junior Chamber International (JCI) is a global membership-based non-profit organization of more than 200,000 young active citizens, aged 18 to 40. JCI members are dedicated to creating positive change by seeking targeted solutions to local problems resulting in sustainable impact. In Lebanon, JCI has two active local organizations in Beirut and Zahle.
About TOYP:
The Ten Outstanding Young Persons (TOYP) is an international program adopted by JCI in 1983 for the purpose of showcasing the accomplishments of young people across the world who exemplify the spirit of the JCI mission. Notable past TOYP honorees include Elvis Presley, Queen Rania of Jordan, and John F Kennedy.