A Celebration of Women™
is elated to Celebrate the Life of this one girl who changed the world.
YOUTH of ACTION™
Thandiwe Chama
A 16-year-old Zambian girl, Thandiwe Chama of Lusaka’s Chawama township has scooped the 2007 International Children’s Peace Prize beating 28 other nominees from across the world. The prestigious prize was presented to Thandiwe in The Hague on Sunday by Nobel Peace Laureate, Betty Williams and Live8 initiator, Sir Bob Geldof. The Prize consists of a statuette – “the Nkosi” – and 100,000 euros, which are to be awarded to a direct aid project in the spirit of the young winner’s efforts.In 1999, when she was only eight-years-old, her school was closed because there were no teachers. Thandiwe refused to accept this and led 60 other children in walking to find another school. As a result, all the children were taken into the Jack Cecup School. Strengthened by this achievement, Thandiwe has been fighting ever since for the right to education for all children. Thandiwe continues to impress, for example by speaking in church about children and AIDS – an issue not always discussed easily in churches. With a friend, she wrote and illustrated a booklet called “The Chicken with AIDS”, telling young children about the perils of AIDS.
“It is important to make your voice heard. By doing so, we have ensured, for example, that all students have access to covered classrooms, which is of essential importance in our climate. I believe that all children should go to school. It allows them to support themselves, and provides them with a future. Since this period, I have written a book and a song. In 2007, I was awarded the International Childrens Peace Prize for my efforts and my fight for childrens rights in my country, particularly the right to an education.”
“It’s so important to know that also a child has rights. At school I learned about rights. And I knew then that this was something I wanted to fight for. Because if children are given an opportunity, they for sure can contribute in making this world a better place.” – Thandiwe Chama
Thandiwe Chama
My blog is about Human Rights, because I love knowing my rights and my responsblity as a child. on this blog i will be writing about rights of children and how they are been neglected. I do this because i am involved in a club called C R C which stands Children Rights Club. because of this CLUB I won the International Childrens Peace Prize.
The International Children’s Peace Prize is an initiative of the Dutch organization KidsRights and was launched in 2005 in Rome by the Nobel Peace Laureates headed by Mikhail Gorbachev. The Prize consists of a statuette – “the Nkosi” – and 100,000 euros, which are to be awarded to a direct aid project in the spirit of the young winner’s efforts.
Thandiwe believes that education is the key to any child’s future, and ever since early childhood she has been active in improving educational opportunities for poor and vulnerable children like herself. In 1999, when she was only eight years old, her school was closed down because there were no teachers left. She refused to accept this and took the lead in walking to find another school, demanding her right f or education and bringing with her the 60 other children of her school. As a result, all children were taken into the Jack Cecup School.
This was the first time that she experienced that fighting for your rights can be worth while. Strengthened by this achievement, she wanted to make sure that all of the children could learn inside a building, rather than outside in the burning sun. She went to the local government official and got him to provide money f or a new building. And as her school was expanding, she successfully rallied support both within the community and from government officials to get new land for more classrooms.
Ever since, Thandiwe has been fighting for the right to education f or all children, including the poor and the ill.
Thandiwe honoured by Zambian government on the Day of the African Child.
Ever since 1991 Africa is celebrating the Day of the African Child on June 16th. Because of her effort for the children in her country, Thandiwe Chama was honoured and given an award by the Zambian government. Also she was invited to give a speech addressing all guests and especially the minister of Youth, Sports and Child Development. Thandiwe talked about the issues that she thinks are important when it comes to children’s rights. The minister gave a speech in reply to her and promised to bring Thandiwe’s speech to the government. The official theme of the day was “Right to Participation: Let Children be Seen and Heard“. A theme that perfectly matches the Children’s Peace Prize. Following Thandiwe’s speech, the ministry is going to work on a provision for children to participate in affairs that concern the nation.
Official opening “Thandiwe’s Library”
Following Thandiwe’s impressive speech during the official Children’s Peace Prize ceremony in 2007 a library has been offered to Thandiwe and her former primary school. “Thandiwe’s library” is the first out of 10 libraries to be build in developing countries, part of a project initiated by Z@ppelin, Biblionef and Mercis Publishing.
Thandiwe’s speech at the GYPI NorwayIn September 2008 Thandiwe Chama was invited to give a speech at the Global Youth Peace Initiative in Norway. In September 2009 the University of Stavanger organized a GYPI (Global Youth Peacebuilding Initiative) conference in Stavanger, Norway.
Media attention
- The International Children’s Peace Prize Award Ceremony 2007 was broadcasted in Holland on the NOS news, the RTL news and the “Jeugdjournaal” (children’s news).
- Thandiwe Chama from Lusaka, Zambia
- The International Children’s Peace Prize Award Ceremony 2007 was broadcasted in Holland on the NOS news, the RTL news and the “Jeugdjournaal” (children’s news). The international press has also done a report on the ceremony and the extraordinary winner. Thanks to BBC World Service, the German ZDF, Reuters and many other international news reports, Thandiwe has become hot news!
- The Zambian National Broadcasting Corporation (ZNBC) was at the airport when Thandiwe arrived in Zambia. She gave radio interviews, has been on the cover of all the Zambian newspapers and visited with the Sport, Youth and Child Development Deputy Minister Ms. Angela Chifire, who has promised to provide more land in order to build more classrooms. Thandiwe was invited by UNICEF to represent Zambia during the youth forum “SPEAK AFRICA” in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The forum will be made into a documentary and broadcast all over Africa.
- The International Children’s Peace Prize has enabled Thandiwe to put the right of education for all children on the agenda again and thus move the world.
A Celebration of Women™
welcomes this young woman into our Alumni with open arms.
Brava Thandiwe!
Thandiwe Chama – YOUTH of ACTION™
October 2, 2012 by Team Celebration
Filed Under: WOMEN of ACTION™, YOUTH of ACTION™ Tagged With: Africa, African girls, African women, girls taking action, Lusaka’s Chawama, Take Action, Thandiwe Chama, Thandiwe Chama - YOUTH of ACTION™, youth, youth of action, Zambia, Zambian girl, “the Nkosi”
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