January 13, 2015
Sometime last year, we published the Search for Young Leaders for the inaugural Queens Young Leaders Award. Well, sixty young people from across the Commonwealth have emerged as winners of the first ever Queen’s Young Leaders Award and recognized as “exceptional leaders in their community.” The Queen’s Young Leaders Programme is an initiative established by The Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Trust in partnership with Comic Relief and the Royal Commonwealth Society in recognition of The Queen’s lifetime of service to the Commonwealth.
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 who are taking the lead to transform the lives of others and make a lasting difference in their communities. This year’s award winners, aged between 18 and 29, are working to support others, raise awareness and inspire change on a variety of different issues including education, climate change, gender equality, mental health and disability equality.
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. Applications will re-open in June each year until 2018.
Meet the 2015 Winners below:
Africa
CAMEROON
- Alain Nteff
- Joannes Paulus Yimbesalu
- Mallah Enow Tabot
KENYA
- Abdikadir Aden Hassan
- Caren Nelima Odanga
- Samuel Karuita
MAURITIUS
- Barkha Mossae
- Karuna Rana
- Mohammad Yaaseen Edoo
NAMIBIA
- Tanyaradzwa Daringo
NIGERIA
- Isaiah Owolabi
- Kelvin Ogholi
- Nkechikwu Azinge
- Oladipupo Ajiroba
RWANDA
- Jean d’Amour Mutoni
- Nadia Hitimana
SIERRA LEONE
- Philip Cole
SOUTH AFRICA
- Emma Dicks
- Nosipho Bele
- Patrice Madurai
SWAZILAND
- Nondumiso Hlophe
TANZANIA
- Angela Benedicto Mnagoza
- Given Edward
UGANDA
- Deo Sekandi
- Diana Nakaweesa
ZAMBIA
- Brighton Kaoma
- Regina Mtonga
The Americas and Caribbean
BAHAMAS
- Alicia Wallace
BARBADOS
- Donnya Piggott
BELIZE
- Denielle Neal
CANADA
- Aaron Joshua Pinto
- Melissa Kargiannakis
- Rosimay Venancio
DOMINICA
- Kellyn George
GUYANA
- Leroy Phillips
JAMAICA
- Jerome Cowans
- Nicole Nation
ST. KITTS AND NEVIS
- Javon Liburd
ST. VINCENT AND GRENADINES
- Kenville Horne
TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO
- Teocah Dove
Asia
BANGLADESH
- Shamir Shehab
BRUNEI DARUSSALAM
- Khairunnisa Ash’ari
INDIA
- Akshay Jadhao
- Ashwini Angadi
- Devika Malik
PAKISTAN
- Salman Ahmad
SRI LANKA
- Kavindya Thennakoon
- Thejitha Saubhagya Edirisinghe
Europe
UNITED KINGDOM
- Edmund Page
- Nicola Byrom
- Zoe Jackson
The Pacific
AUSTRALIA
- Emily Smith
- Kate Row
FIJI
- Alzima Elisha Bano
NEW ZEALAND
- Tabitha Besley
PAPUA NEW GUINEA
- Christina Giwe
- John Taka
SAMOA
- Erna Takazawa
SOLOMON ISLANDS
- Christina Houaisuta
VANUATU
- Willy Missack
Congratulations to all the winners as culled from Comic Relief! You could be the next in 2016! Stay updated with us!