On Tuesday, June 26, Her excellency the Queen hosted 400 young people from across the commonwealth to receive the Queen Young Leaders Award. This year, which happens to be the fourth and last year of the Young Leaders Award featured three Ghanaians namely; Alimatu Bawah Wiabriga, Derick Omari and Shadrack Frimpong.
Alimatu is the co-founder of CowTribe, which uses mobile technology to provide animal health services to rural livestock farmers. The platform has helped to link farmers with veterinary services more quickly and easily, via a simple booking app.
Derrick is working to raise levels of IT literacy within his community. He is the founder of Tech Era, a programme which introduces underprivileged children in Ghana to technology.
Shadrack is a social entrepreneur working to improve the lives of people living in rural communities in Ghana. He is the founder of Cocoa360, which runs a free girls’ school and medical clinic in his community, funded by proceeds from a community cocoa plantation.
The ceremony was held at the Buckingham Palace. In attendance were The Queen, The Duke and Duchess of Sussex, David Beckham OBE, Ore Oduba, Chairman of The Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Trust and many more. The Queen’s Young Leaders Award recognizes and celebrates exceptional people aged 18-29 from across the commonwealth, who are taking the lead in their communities and using their skills to transform lives.
“This award from Her Majesty The Queen is not only a laurel of a lifetime for me, but also evidence that Ghanaian youth have a recognizable duty to serve and lead change in the country. My residence here in the UK and interaction with fellow Queen’s Young Leaders sums up an amazing and unforgettable experience .This programme has been remarkable in setting up an important foundation for scaling up and replicating. It’s a renewal of my commitment to serve my community and to make it a better place. I’m really excited for what lies ahead,” said Derrick Omari, one of Ghana’s award recipient.
In a speech delivered by The Duke of Sussex, who was recently named a Commonwealth Youth Ambassador said, “In this rapidly changing world, it is heartening to meet so many inspiring young people gathered here today, who have already stepped up as leaders and improved the lives of so many people across the Commonwealth. You are the hope and optimism the world needs and will all do whatever we can to support you in it.”
As part of their package win, Derrick, Shadrack and Alimatu have gained access to bespoke mentoring and training through the University of Cambridge’s Institute of Continuing Education, designed to develop their leadership kills further and ensure they are best placed to lead the way in the future to tackle some of the world’s most pressing issues.
The Young Leaders network forms a unique, dedicated and powerful group of young people from 53 Commonwealth countries, who will connect, collaborate and change lives together for years to come. The 2018 Young Leaders Award organized by The Queen is the last to be held as it was developed to be a four-year annual event. It was launched in 2014.
