As Children’s Day was celebrated across the nation on Tuesday, an 11-year-old beauty queen demonstrated that leadership, compassion, and purpose are not the exclusive preserve of adults.

Chantel Princess Adenowo, the reigning Little Miss Decency Africa World, is using her crown not merely as a symbol of beauty but as a tool for change.

Adenowo has already made her mark as the Founder and Child Ambassador of the Chantel Adenowo Special Education Foundation (C.A.S.E. Foundation), a nonprofit organisation dedicated to providing educational opportunities for children from low-income backgrounds.

Through the foundation, she has been offering scholarships and distributing school supplies to children who might otherwise be denied access to learning due to financial hardship. Among her beneficiaries are the Raymond siblings, who tragically lost both parents—their father to a stroke and their mother to breast cancer—within just three weeks of each other. Thanks to her efforts, the children are now back in school on a full scholarship.

“I believe every child deserves to learn, no matter their background,” Adenowo said. “My dream is bigger than me, but with help, I know we can make it happen.”

While her mission is already changing lives, she is appealing to the public for support to expand her foundation’s reach. She hopes for sponsorships and partnerships to enable her to continue offering hope and education, one child at a time.

As the world celebrates Children’s Day, she says she stands as a reminder that age is no barrier to impact. “With empathy, vision, and action, even the youngest voices can lead the way,” she said.