Zuriel presents DUSUSU Award to Kenyatta of Kenya

WIFE of the president of Kenya, Margaret Kenyatta, has emerged recipient of 2015 Dream Up, Speak Up, Stand Up (DUSUSU) for her tireless work in the East African country in advocating for children’s education, especially within the Massai community.

The award was recently presented to the First Lady by Nigeria’s wonder-kid, 13-year-old Zuriel Oduwole, who in 2013 launched the DUSUSU project at the Pan Atlantic University, Lagos, to champion the education of the girl child across Africa.

The award recognize African First Ladies and African Gender Ministers, doing a lot in the area of girls’ education, and gender development issues, as a way of encouraging more leaders towards the Millennium Development Goal of attaining universal primary education.

Through this project, the home- schooled teenager has so far spoken to more than 23,000 children in 10 countries about the importance of education and the need to stay in school.

Recognizing the fact that government alone could not make tangible impact in solving the world’s education challenges, Zuriel met and interviewed more than 16 world leaders over 20 months to talk about various issues including education policies.

Earlier this year, the 2015 Award for Gender Minister went to Nana Oye Lithur of Ghana. For the first year in 2014, the DUSUSU Awards for First Lady went to Salma Kikwete of Tanzania, while the Gender Minister Award went to Mireille Martins of Mauritius.

The search for 2016 awardees begins next March.