The Hebe Foundation
689. Amie Buhari
Amie Buhari is the founder of ‘The Hebe Foundation’, a charity that aims to improve the lives of young people living in communities across London.
Amie was inspired to set up the foundation after seeing her own cousin get caught up in gang violence. Her work focuses on increasing employability and improving life skills.
Since 2007 she has supported hundreds of young people through projects such as ‘Urban Debaters’, workshops that enable young individuals to develop confidence, a free books for schools programme and mentoring. This week will see a new series of Amie’s debating workshops begin, in partnership with Eversheds Global Law Firm.
In a personal letter to Amie, Prime Minister Theresa May said:
“The Hebe Foundation has given so many young people across London the opportunity to build skills and discover their talents, changing lives for the better. You should be enormously proud of everything you are achieving through this important work.”
Amie said:
“I’m shocked and honoured to receive this award. The whole point of The Hebe Foundation is to develop the lives of disadvantaged young people by illuminating their gifts and talents; so it’s awesome that we would receive an award by ‘Points of Light’. We wouldn’t exist without all our amazing volunteers who stand beside me as we work, so thank you to them.
“To have this recognition from the Prime Minister is a great privilege. Doors will now be opened that will be beneficial in so many ways as we move forward with helping more young people and working in partnership with more organisations to do this.
“I’m giving this one to all our young people, because every time they make steps to understanding who they are and what they can achieve; they become our points of light, making the future that much brighter and better, and me proud to be able to guide them into it!”