Queen to honour two Malawi youth with prestigious award for improving lives of others

Her Majesty The Queen on Britain will present Chikondi Violet Mlozi and Pilirani Khoza from Malawi with a Queen’s Young Leaders Award at a special ceremony at Buckingham Palace, London, on Tuesday  June 26 2018.

The Awards recognise the work that young people from across the Commonwealth are doing to transform lives in their community and beyond.

Chikondi, 24, from Zomba will receive a Queen’s Young Leaders Award for the work she is doing to find new ways to improve the lives of women and children within her country.

As a district co-ordinator for YouthNet and Counselling (Yoneco) in Malawi, she helps to free girls from forced, early marriages, supports victims of abuse and provides women with mentoring opportunities.

Pilirani, 26, from Lilongwe will receive a Queen’s Young Leaders Award for the work she is doing to provide disadvantaged young women in Malawi with an education.

After becoming the first woman in her community to attend the University of Malawi, Pilirani founded the Bunda Female Students Organisation (BUFESO) in 2012 to help young women and girls to become involved in the fields of science and agriculture.

Chikondi and Pilirani were selected following a competitive process involving thousands of applicants across the Commonwealth. Together they join a network of 240 powerful young leaders, from 53 Commonwealth countries, who are driving change to make the world a better place.

The 2018 Queen’s Young Leaders are finding solutions to global issues such as climate change, food scarcity, gender-based violence, mental health, and access to education. 

The Queen’s Young Leaders Award winners take part in a year-long leadership course run by the University of Cambridge and receive bespoke mentoring. They will visit the UK for a programme of high-profile networking opportunities, meetings and training designed to help them develop as leaders and work with ever greater impact.

Later this month, during their time in the UK, Chikondi and Pilirani will visit 10 Downing Street, take part in masterclasses at the BBC World Service and the UK Headquarters of Facebook.

 Award winners will then meet with the Commonwealth Secretary-General and High Commissioners from across the Commonwealth, before receiving their Award from Her Majesty The Queen at Buckingham Palace. They will also attend workshops at the University of Cambridge and visit projects that are changing the lives of vulnerable people in the UK.

Dr Astrid Bonfield CBE, Chief Executive of The Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Trust said:“Through selfless determination, the Queen’s Young Leaders of 2018 are dedicating their lives to bring positive change to those around them. Their visit to the UK this June provides them with a unique opportunity to connect with each other and gain valuable lessons from experts and leaders from all walks of life which we hope will help transform the reach of their endeavours for many years to come.”

The Queen’s Young Leaders programme was established in 2014 by The Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Trust in partnership with Comic Relief, The Royal Commonwealth Society and the University of Cambridge’s Institute of Continuing Education, in recognition of The Queen’s lifetime of service to the Commonwealth.

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