On 9 November 2015, Abraham Keita was awarded the International Children’s Peace Prize in the Hague, the Netherlands. The seventeen year-old boy is actively involved with Defence for Children International in Liberia.
Foday Kawah, Executive Director of Defence for Children International in Liberia is delighted that Abraham Keita is this year’s winner: “We are proud of him. We have been greatly involved with him in our programmes and mentored him in advocacy. He was involved in the Anti-Ebola campaign for children and he volunteered in research performed by Defence for Children about the impact of Ebola-infections on children. He is a great example of youth empowerment.”
Abraham has been promoting children’s rights at the national level since its early years. At age 9, Abraham became a member of the Liberian Children’s Parliament. Thanks to his efforts, a Children’s Law was adopted by parliament. He also initiated petitions, organized multiple peaceful demonstrations to advocate for children’s rights and launched a campaign against the sexual abuse of children.
The International Children’s Peace Prize is an initiative of the Dutch organization Kids Rights. The prize is awarded annually to a child for her or his dedication to children’s rights.
Fourteen year-old Aziza Rahim Zada from Afghanistan and the seventeen year-old Jeanesha Bou from Puerto Rico were the two other nominees of this year. Zada stands up for children and their living conditions in refugee camps. Bou is committed to fight child trafficking. Last year’s winner was Malala Yousafzai.
