News & Events 2017
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November 2017
Bonn - GERMANY Along with 29,000 other delegates, I attended the COP23 Climate Change conference in Bonn - Germany. I was invited to speak and share my ideas on how I see the relationship between Climate Change and Education. The UNFCCC made me a Climate Neutral Now Champion. VIDEO: www.youtube.com/watch?v=g7S6PbI3gKo Kigali - RWANDA My Film "Follow The Ball" for education premiers in Rwanda, at the Kigali Convention Center. We also presented the 2017 DUSUSU Award for an African Gender Minister to Hon Esperance Nyirasafari. |
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September 2017
Marrakech - MOROCCO Spoke at the Annual Women in Africa Initiative conference in Morocco, about the power of youth in changing the continent. Also premiered my film "Follow The Ball" at the Beldi Country Club, in Marrakech. Paris - FRANCE I spoke about the idea of wealthy countries, especially in the EU to give 0.7% of their income to projects that support development programs in developing countries in Africa and South America. A total of 200,000 people came to the event by night time. |
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August 2017
Abuja & Lagos - NIGERIA After working hard for 3 years on my new film, it premiered at the Hilton Hotel Abuja this month. My whole family accompanied me. I shot it in 5 countries and across 3 continents - Brazil, Ethiopia, Nigeria, Mauritius and the US. A week before the premier, I had a private screening for 165 underprivileged and city youths in Lagos. They learned a little about film making before the film, and we talked more film making after the private screening. The were sponsored to the event by many companies as part of their own CSR projects for youth development. It was a cool partnership. |
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July 2017
Paris - FRANCE I was invited to speak and participate at the UNESCO "Soft Power" conference in Paris. UNESCO Director General invited 55 women including current and past Presidents of countries, Prime Ministers, Royal Family members from Jordan to the Netherlands, and other experts to share ideas for true action on Gender Development, using a soft power approach. At the conference, I spoke as a film maker about how to use media to correct the negative perception of women. I learned a lot, as well. Then a member of the Global Council on Women Leadership who is also the President of Malta H.E. Marie Louise Preca, presented me with a gift in recognition of my work on Girls Education globally. Thank you very much Madam. Thank you all very much. I'm still learning. |
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May 2017
Dakar - SENEGAL Presented our annual DUSUSU Award to an African First Lady working to tackle the issue of out of school Children [especially Girls] in their country. It was won by the First Ladies of Tanzania in 2014, Kenya in 2015, and Namibia in 2016. Her Excellency Marieme Faye Sall received the "2017 Award" from me in Dakar at the Presidential Palace. Lagos - NIGERIA Etisalat Invited me to their annual career counseling day to talk to 400 students from 12 schools in Lagos, about Film Making. I also talked about the importance of a good education, and the need to Educate Girls also. Why Not !!! Made the cover of the current edition of DIASPORA Magazine. I am thankful. It tells the story of some amazing people doing great stuff overseas, like the surgeon who took out a baby from the womb to operate on it, and then put the baby back in. Who does that ? He should have been on the cover - Right !! Cairo - EGYPT Finished my photo shoot for an exciting new project, in Cairo - Egypt. |
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April 2017
Paris - FRANCE Headlined a major NGO Youth Movement Conference in Paris with Bill Gates, Melinda Gates, and Ndaba Mandela. More than 500,000 youths filled Champs Elysees for the pre-event. Was so cool, and showed the power of youths before the French Elections. Dakar - SENEGAL Attended the second edition of the NAW Women's Forum in Dakar, as a panelist. I spoke about the power of youth, as a film maker and a Girl Education Advocate. I attended the first one also in London, in 2016. |
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March 2017
Pachuca - MEXICO I made my first visit to Mexico and taught film making class to more than 400 youths in Mexico State and Hidalgo State, in partnership with the US Embassy in Mexico. Its amazing that youths everywhere want to tell their own stories themselves. Also directed a children's news program for ZAAI news. It featured ordinary people on the streets, talking about the col things about Mexico, and what they want the rest of the world to know about the people of Mexico Sandton; Johannesburg - SOUTH AFRICA At the Hilton Women's Leadership Conference held at the Hilton Sandton Hotel, I was very excited to speak about leadership from a youth perspective, and as a film maker |
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January 2017
Washington DC - USA It was a great honor to be invited to the US State Department in Washington to meet with President Barack Obama's chief foreign affairs person, the Secretary of State - The Rt Hon John Kerry. He commended me for all the work I had done for Girls Education Awareness, because he says the State Department is very serious about equality among boys and girls, especially in Education, and they do it across the globe. He said I had clarity of purpose in what I was doing, such as my film making class for underprivileged youths across Africa. I have now taught basic film making class to 305 youths in Kenya, Mauritius, Namibia and Nigeria. I also asked him about his toughest experience as Secretary of State, and he said "Syria". I wasn't too surprised he said that, from all I see on the news. He was very, very impressed I had already met 24 world leaders on my own to talk about various global issues, including Education. Secretary Kerry said one day, I could sit in his office, as a Secretary of State of the United States. That was nice. |