TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Christy Zakarias, an Indonesian student, has been awarded the International Diana Award for her work in Kampung Lengkong, a community in the Cisadane river basin, Tangerang, Banten. She is the first Indonesian to win this prestigious award.
Since the 8th grade, the 14-year-old student of Sinarmas World Academy in Tangerang, has given free English lessons to elementary school children in her neighborhood. With a friend, Christy founded an organization called the Riveria.
Christy received the award certificate, signed by British Prime Minister David Cameron, from the British Ambassador, Mark Canning, at a ceremony at the British Embassy on 30 May.
In a press release received by Tempo, Ambassador Canning said he is proud of the Christy's achievement "I applaud her, and all those other young Indonesians, who are helping those in society who are less fortunate than they are and who are giving back to their community in important ways," he said.
International Diana Award This award has been there since 2011 to commemorate the year that should be a celebration of the birthday of Princess Diana's 50th. There are more than 150 International Diana Award recipients throughout the world.
The International Diana Award was created in 2011 to honor the year that would have been Princess Diana's 50th Birthday. There are 150 recipients of the Diana Award from all over the world.
Christy, who was nominated by the Global Issues Network Indonesia, is the first Indonesian to receive the award.
"I am confident that Princess Diana, whose memory this award honors, would have been greatly impressed at what she has achieved," Ambassador Canning said.