Ugandan among 2016 Queen's Young Leaders Award winners

Jun 29, 2016

The Queen’s Young Leader 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.

PIC: Josephine Nabukenya poses for a picture after an interview about Queens Young Leaders Award 2016 Uganda at Makerere University Johns Hopkins offices in Mulago on June 29, 2016. (Credit: Juliet Kasirye)

Josephine Nabukenya, 23, was among 60 winners out of 2000 contenders across the world to receive the 2016 Queen's Young Leader award in a ceremony at Buckingham Palace, by The Queen.

The Queen's Young Leader 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.

Nabukenya was born HIV positive. But despite her condition, the social works and social administration graduate uses her story to inspire other young people in a similar situation to be fearless and to help end the AIDS epidemic.

She serves as a Stephen Lewis Foundation Youth program coordinator at Makerere University Johns Hopkins University (MUJHU), and is also an Ambassador at Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation (EGPAF)'s Ariel Club which addresses the psychological and clinical needs of HIV positive children.  

 

According to a press release from Ruth Maurice the Senior Media Officer, Queen's Young Leaders Programme, the event was graced by high profile personalities such as His Royal Highness Prince Harry, former Prime Minister and Chairman of The Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Trust, Sir John Major, David Beckham and Sir Lenny Henry.

Speaking at the ceremony, Prince Harry said, "The Queen's Young Leaders award recognises what you have achieved, not for yourselves, but for your communities, for your peers, and for those less fortunate.

"You have already been an inspiration to so many; but I hope this award will inspire you to go out and achieve even greater things in the future, empowered by the network of leaders you now sit amongst."

David Beckham said, "I am thrilled to be here once again to help Her Majesty The Queen in congratulating a new group of inspiring young leaders. I know those who won last year are continuing to build on the opportunities the award has provided them. I look forward to following the progress of the class of 2016 and have no doubt we will be seeing a lot this year's exceptional group of young people as they continue to make lasting change in their communities."

Over the course of the past week, The Queen's Young Leaders, including Nabukenya, have been taking part in a series of high-level engagements across London and in Cambridge.

This included participating in a challenge set by global social networking company Twitter, meeting Senior Executives at BBC World News and visiting 10 Downing Street. As part of the programme they also received leadership training at the University of Cambridge's Institute of Continuing Education, met UK business leaders from Standard Chartered, AMV BBDO and PWC and heard from leaders from UK charities working to deliver life-changing projects.

This year's Queen's Young Leaders programme concluded yesterday with a visit to Marlborough House to meet the Commonwealth Secretary-General and High Commissioners, followed by an exclusive event at The Shard.

 

This is not the first time Nabukenya is making news. In 2005 when she was 12, she was invited to the USA, where she addressed the United States Congress in Washington DC and appealed to the US and other countries to make it easier for children to get treatment against HIV/AIDS.

Each year from 2014 to 2018, 60 exceptional young people are selected to receive a Queen's Young Leaders Award and become ‘Queen's Young Leaders' - one for every year that The Queen had served as Head of the Commonwealth at the time of her Diamond Jubilee.

The search for the 2017 Queen's Young Leaders Award Winners opens at 8 pm BST on Friday 24 June 2017. If you or someone you know is doing exceptional work in their community apply or nominate them at www.queensyoungleaders.com.                                                
 

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