Sallies Village resident Lerato Maris seems ever closer to realising her dreams of becoming a global leader and philanthropist.
Lerato is set to embark on Tbilisi in Georgia (Eastern Europe) as an award recipient and a national delegate in the Global Youth Leadership Summit & Award 2024. The United Nations brand ambassador is now also a Global Peace Chain Ambassador.
Global Peace Chain is a worldwide peace-building organisation established in 2018 with its head office in the USA and regional offices in Pakistan, Nepal, Burundi, and Mauritius, for reinforcing youth leadership and development.
“The youth is the future, and as such we need to lead by example and show the next generations that putting humanity first over monetary and materialistic standards is the core of rebuilding developing societies, communities, youth, and the country as a whole, leading the nation to success,” she said.
“It becomes our duty to leave a beautiful footprint that will continue after we served, paving the way for those who are to follow.”
The political activist and influencer feels honoured and blessed to be on this journey and fulfilling her passion in youth development and being an active agent of change.
“I started this with the notion of bridging a gap within our communities to bring soft power to the people and providing access and tools to rebuild and restructure our youth through times of uncertainty. Acts of service are through mentoring, advocating and influencing causes that need attention,” she said.
Lerato is grateful for a global network where she can connect people by merging the divide between those who can and those who can’t due to a lack of resources and seeking assistance, especially within organisations.
She added her work is not completed yet and she intends to work even harder to see youth be the rise of global peace and effective change not only in Brakpan but globally.
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The leadership summit and awards, presented by Global Youth Parliament, will take place from September 5 to 8.
This is the latest in a series of accolades Lerato has added to her name.
Earlier this year, she was the recipient of the award for Most Influential International Peace and Security Organisation 2024 in the African Excellence Awards by MEA Markets. She was also nominated in the DearSA Young Leader Awards 2024.
Her nomination was in the Civil Society category as she was celebrated as a young South African who is making a significant contribution to society. In November, Lerato walked away as a winner at the The Future is Female & Men Champions Awards 2023.
She was nominated in the 2023 Most Influential Youth Award category and placed first in the subcategory, The Most Gender-Focused Youth for 2023.
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