Nigerian Amanda ‘Chirpy’ Obidike has been awarded one of the prestigious United Kingdom young people’s awards, The Diana Award, instituted in memory of Diana, the Princess of Wales.
The Diana Award is the most prestigious accolade a young person aged 9 – 25 years can receive for their social action or humanitarian work. Taking place every two years, it celebrates the achievements of outstanding young leaders and visionaries, who have demonstrated their ability to inspire and mobilise new generations to service their communities, as Princess Diana believed they could.
Obidike was among the 350 recipients, including some other Nigerians, that were announced during the virtual award ceremony on Monday.
The winners were nominated for the award through a rigorous process centred on five key areas: vision, social impact, inspiring others, youth leadership, and service journey.
Tribune Online gathered that Obidike, a certified professional in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), the Executive Director of STEMi Makers Africa, and a Global 2020 Goldman Sachs Fellow, was recognised and honoured with the award for going beyond her daily life to create and sustain positive change, and for her work in making STEM education available to Nigerian students, especially to those in the grassroots.
Concerned about educational and economic disparities in Nigeria, Obidike researched opportunities for women and young girls in STEM. In 2019, she designed a solution to inform digital policy and tackle cultural and social gender bias in STEM pathways. She also designed a technology solution called ‘Project Kuongoza’, which allows women and girls aged 15 – 25 to access mentorship and work experience opportunities.
Reacting to the award, Obidike stated that Princess Diana was an embodiment of courage and kindness, while she created awareness on several humanitarian issues. “I am so honoured to receive this prestigious award in memory of her lasting legacy, and would like to encourage young people to start getting involved in their community whether by volunteering, advocacy, community outreach for social good,” she said.
According to the organisers of the award, Obidike and the other recipients of the award will be “given access to a unique development programme which aims to further increase their already proven capacity for innovation, leadership and social change, through access to resources, opportunities and training, both face to face and online.”
Tessy Ojo, the CEO of The Diana Award, while congratulating the 2021 recipients of the award noted that for over twenty years, The Diana Award has valued and invested in young people, adding that the award “will inspire more young people to get involved in their communities and begin their own journey as active citizens.”
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