27 Africans have been named among 60 young people from across the Commonwealth recognised as “exceptional leaders in their community” by the first ever Queen’s Young Leaders Award.
The awards, which will be presented in London by Her Majesty The Queen in June as part of The Queen’s Young Leaders Programme, celebrate the achievements of young people taking the lead to transform the lives of others and make a lasting difference in their communities.
The 27 young Africans honoured include individuals from Cameroon (3), Kenya (3), Mauritius (3), Namibia (1), Nigeria (4), Rwanda (2), Sierra Leone (1), South Africa (3), Swaziland (1), Tanzania (2), Uganda (2) and Zambia (2).
This year’s award winners are working to support others, raise awareness and inspire change on a variety of different issues, such as education, climate change, gender equality, mental health and disability equality.
The Queen’s Young Leaders Programme, established by The Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Trust in partnership with Comic Relief and the Royal Commonwealth Society, intends over the next four years the programme will support thousands of young people and will provide grants to support organisations in selected countries across the Commonwealth that work with young people to transform lives.
“The leadership of talented young people in all spheres of life can transform communities and societies for the better,” Dr Astrid Bonfield CBE, chief executive of The Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Trust said.
“What the 60 young people announced today have achieved is remarkable and their plans for the future are truly inspiring. The programme is poised to unlock the potential of this diverse and talented group of young people and we are delighted to be supporting them to go further and achieve more.”
