LOCAL woman and girl rights activist Nyari Mashayamombe was among the finalist of the world’s leading change-makers in sustainable development who were recognised at the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDG) Action Awards ceremony held in Rome last Tuesday.
The awards are meant to honour women who use creativity and innovation to advance a more sustainable, equitable and peaceful world.
The awards, which were running under the theme Hope in Action, saw Indian Suvarna Raj, a para-athlete and disability rights advocate winning the Changemaker category for influencing policies like the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act and raising awareness of accessible elections.
Mashayamombe was a finalist in the Changemaker grouping and other categories included Impact and Creativity.
The UN SDG Action Awards are a signature programme of the UN SDG Action Campaign.
“I’m grateful that last night in Rome, I got the finalist trophy as one of the top three out of the 5 500 global applications at the UNSDGs awards,” Mashayamombe said.
“I couldn’t be more grateful of my journey of being a change maker and touching our communities.
“This speaks into the sleepless nights to advance and advocate for girls and young women, the use of TaLI as a non-governmental organisation conduit as well as Identities Media as a means to facilitate amplification of the causes was strategic.”
She added: “I’m grateful to all my team members past and present who had a hand in this work and this award.
“I’m grateful to the civil society in Zimbabwe that is always ready to partner to advance women, children and girls lives.
“I’m grateful to my mother for the opportunity of education, to my siblings for paying my school fees and giving me a great basic launching pad, and to each of our funding partners who make our work possible.
“To each of you for support here am super grateful. May you all pursue your dreams and in your pursuit may you find support.”
The Campaign’s global director Marina Ponti expressed her admiration for this year’s awardees, stating: “No matter who or where we are, our actions are essential for achieving the SDGs and shaping our shared future.
“Our world contains millions of change makers, each bringing creativity and passion to drive meaningful progress toward a more inclusive and sustainable future. These Awards highlight just a few of them, but their impact inspires us all to take more meaningful action.”
