Award nominee hopes to bring about positive change
Influencer aims to inspire the youth.
Sallies Village resident Lerato Maris, a United Nations brand ambassador and influencer, has been nominated in the DearSA Young Leader Awards 2024.
Her nomination is in the Civil Society category as she is celebrated as a young South African who is making a significant contribution to society.
The 30-year-old is no stranger to awards. In November last year, she walked away as a winner at the The Future is Female & Men Champions Awards 2023.
The awards, presented by Leading Women of Africa, create awareness and showcase the role of male and female leaders as change agents on the continent.
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She was nominated in the 2023 Most Influential Youth Award category and placed first in the subcategory, The Most Gender-Focused Youth for 2023.
With her latest nomination, Maris used the opportunity to remind young people to be the change they want to see in the community
“I want the youth of Brakpan to know that through times of unemployment, lack of money and resources, and an uncertain future, all hope is not lost in building ourselves, communities and a whole town through acts of service and being agents of positive change,” she said.
She believes it is the duty of young leaders to rise up and make proactive changes in building a society that is sustainable and empowering, through developing themselves.
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As a brand ambassador, Maris brings forth mentorship programmes, seminars and educational tools in affiliation with the United Nations to bridge gaps between the poor through sustainable development goals as a means for sustainable livelihoods.
“I hope this step will be a beautiful footprint that will inspire the youth to be active leaders of change where we can make a difference by just trying through acts of service,” she said.
“I am representing you, hoping you represent others through positive change.”
Residents can vote for Maris online at https://dears.africa/young-leaders-awards-2024/
