Napapim (Kati) Yugala
Thailand, 17
She/Her
Project: Beyond the Village
Every year in northern Thailand, smoke season arrives and air quality collapses. Kati founded Beyond the Village to shield her region's communities from hazardous PM2.5 exposure and the respiratory illness that follows. The organization designs and delivers affordable air purification systems that communities can adapt themselves, prioritizing hill tribes with little access to commercial alternatives. Everything is built for replication and local ownership — hands-on demonstrations, virtual support, and open-source guides translated into local languages, so villages can protect themselves without waiting for outside help. Beyond the Village has turned 150+ schools, health centers, and community facilities into safe indoor spaces, protecting 10,000+ people, while citizen workshops teach residents how pollution affects them. Kati is now expanding nationwide through a youth ambassador network, with young people installing the systems in their own communities.