At just 21, Ethiopian founder Liyu Fikre is reshaping how young people approach mental health, addiction recovery, and purpose. She is the brains behind Lilos Virtual, a digital platform dedicated to mental wellness, addiction recovery, and mindset support for youth. What makes her story powerful is not just the vision—it is the courage to start young, learn on the go, and build something meaningful from a place of empathy.
Humans of Fuzia is featuring Liyu to amplify a voice that represents resilience, innovation, and compassion in mental health advocacy. With a global community of 5 million working to support women and create equitable change, her story is a reminder that change can begin anywhere—and anyone can lead it, regardless of age, privilege, or degree.
Q: Tell us a little about yourself and what you’re building.
A: My name is Liyu Fikre, and I’m from Ethiopia. I’m the founder of Lilos Virtual, a digital platform dedicated to mental wellness and addiction recovery. We’re currently developing two strategies—ALPRS and ALSRS—which focus on addiction and social media reduction.
We’ve launched a coming-soon version of the website so people can sign up, and we’re building a community to support youth through awareness, resources, and follow-up care.
Q: How are you creating awareness and building your community?
A: We have awareness teams in different cities in Ethiopia, including Addis Ababa, Haramaya, Hawasa, and Walei Tasoto. We also have a team in Dubai.
Digitally, we use platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and Telegram to share content, motivate young people, and encourage them to sign up for updates.
Our audience is primarily youth from 15 to 35, so our awareness team actively engages with universities and young communities.
Q: What inspired you to combine mental health with digital solutions?
A: I am the founder, but I work with psychologists who design and implement the treatments. Studying health science helped me understand how humans respond emotionally and behaviorally.
Our strategies are developed by psychologists with international qualifications, and I’m also planning to study psychology formally.
So the goal is to merge science, empathy, and digital tools to help young people access support.
Q: What goals do you have for the future?
A: We see our work as more than a platform—it’s a movement.
In six months, we have already engaged more than 100 young people and we are actively following up with them through daily tips and communication.
Our goal is to reach more youth, provide tools that help them recover, and build a supportive community that cares about mental health.
Q: What challenges have you faced along the way?
A: One of the biggest challenges is being young and not having a degree yet. I know what I’m capable of, but people don’t always believe it because there isn’t formal proof. I’m completing my degree now, but I started this without waiting.
Another challenge was finding people who were as committed as I am. Now I have an energetic team, but it was difficult before.
Also, in Ethiopia, mental health is still seen as a luxury, so raising awareness is not always easy.
Q: You’re only 21 and already building something impactful. What message would you share with young people?
A: When I was 20, I was so confused about what to study and who I wanted to be. I tried different paths, including being a married mentor, but I realized that wasn’t my purpose.
I asked myself, Why am I here?
I discovered that I love listening to people, helping them, and I feel deep empathy for my generation. So I started taking psychology courses, including one on addiction from Johns Hopkins University, and I fell in love with it.
My message is: Do what you love. Try things. Figure out your purpose by doing.
“Start with what you have, even if it feels small. Your passion can take you far if you listen to it and give it a chance.”
Connect with her
https://www.linkedin.com/in/liyu-fikre-b785b732b/
Want to be featured?
If you’d like to be featured in the Humans of Fuzia series, email: fuziatalent@fuzia.com
