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Girl Up Fiji

Commonwealth Point of Light 117. Herleen Kumar

Herleen Kumar, representing, Fiji, is a young activist and the founder of organisations 'Girl Up Fiji' and ‘Nadi Youth Club’, which engages over 2,000 young people in volunteering, working together to make a difference in their communities.

Herleen Kumar

Under her leadership, young people have participated in numerous projects, from cleaning up some of the most littered beaches in Nadi to supporting vulnerable children in a local orphanage. Herleen also founded the organisation ‘Girl Up Fiji’, which mobilises young girls to promote gender equality.

Herleen said:

“I have been blessed to win the Diana’s award earlier this year and this honour is just the icing on the cake. It feels great as young people are now being recognised for the work they do within the community. I started with community work and volunteering at the age of 15, and now it has been 5 years, where we continue doing what we are passionate about. The phrase that people usually say that, ‘Young people are the leaders of tomorrow,’ is out of date – because we are the leaders of today. We hold the present and the future. Like the famous quote by Shirley Chisholm – ‘If they don’t give you a seat at the table bring the folding chair’.”

The daily Points of Light award recognises outstanding individual volunteers - people who are making a change in their community.

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