SUN, MARCH 18 2018-theG&BJournal-As part of events leading to the formal presentation of the 2018 African First Lady’s category for the annual DUSUSU Awards, 15 year old girl education advocate and film maker Zuriel Oduwole has arrived on a weeklong visit to the south eastern Africa SADC member nation of Mozambique.
The DUSUSU Award since 2014 has recognized the work and practical development programs of an African First Lady and an African Gender Minister in specific areas of girl’s development. So far, the First Ladies of Senegal, Tanzania, Kenya and Namibia have received the Award in that category, for its annual recognition.
The 2018 DUSUSU Award Presentation in Maputo
Accompanied by Government Ministers to the presentation event and attended by business leaders as well as Ambassadors representing several countries, this year’s recipient – H.E. First Lady Mrs. Isaura Nyusi received the Award from Zuriel, and her Foundations citation. It recognized not just the First Lady’s girls education development work in Mozambique, but specifically her fight against the cultural institution of girl marriages in her country Mozambique, and spreading this fight to other countries in the SADC region, starting with Zambia.
VIDEO: www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=13&v=aU19K5BxTc8
Visiting An Orphanages + Music Academy
For her programs in other areas of the country as part of the 5th Anniversary of the DUSUSU Awards, Zuriel was formally welcomed by Sister Maria Jesus to the Sao Jose de Lhanguene ‘girls only’ Orphanage, where she spoke about the importance of having dreams, in any circumstance. The Maputo Jazz Academy for Boys was her next stop, by special invitation. The mostly teenage class wanted to show her that despite being boys, they were inspired by her work for girl’s education around the world, and her leadership voice in areas of youth development. Zuriel who plays music instruments herself was honored to spend an afternoon in the academy.
She would visit more traditional schools next week, and meet with Mozambique President, H.E. Filipe Nyusi, on issues relating to Education, and also Climate Change as a UNFCC Climate Neutral Ambassador, before departing for Ethiopia.
