Sahana Kaur may be only 16 but she is passionate about human rights and climate-related causes.

It is that passion that has garnered the Garden International School A-level student the esteemed Diana Award recently, reported The Star.

According to the daily, Sahana chairs the Amnesty International Malaysia's youth committee, since joining the establishment last year, and has given speeches about youth activism at United Nations-affiliated events.

Besides, she has also helped to coordinate a COVID-19 relief drive to support refugee children.

Sahana, who hails from Penang but is studying in Kuala Lumpur, said she was nominated for the award by her teacher.

"I'm very excited to win the award because I'll be able to participate in a development programme with other recipients, and be able to connect with other award winners.

"I'm driven by the realisation that there are so many things in these fields which need to be, and can be done, but are not being done," Sahana told the English daily in an interview yesterday.

According to Sahana, she plans to host a few upcoming events on sustainable development goals, as well as climate action, and is also working on applying for universities.

The teenager also intends to ensure that the voices of youths are heard in the human right and climate change fields.

The Diana Award was set up in 1999 to continue the legacy of the late Princes Diana. It recognizes young people aged between nine and 25 who are active in social or humanitarian work. Recipients of the award are nominated by adults who know the youngsters in professional capacity and recognise their efforts to contribute to the society.

Apart from Sahana, two other Malaysian youths - Mogesh Sabapathy, 23, and Yi Kang Choo, 22, were also bestowed the Diana Award during a virtual ceremony on Sunday night.

Astro Ulagam has previously reported about Mogesh being listed as a finalist in the Commonwealth Youth Awards 2021, for highlighting the need for marine conversation via Project Ocean Hope, which he co-founded in 2017.

He and his team have since organised a series of webinars around ocean literacy, reaching more than 10, 000 people from 15 countries. He has

Yi, meanwhile, was the brain behind the Welfare Task Force for Malaysian Students Abroad where he provided support to young people who couldn’t return home due to the Covid-19 pandemic.


Source & Photo source: The Star