• Brighton Kaoma, one of the two young Zambians who will be awarded in their recognition as young African Leaders by Queen Elizabeth.

By MIRIAM ZIMBA –

AGE has not been a limiting factor for his accomplishments scored so far.
Not many young people in his age-group could boast having achieved half of what 21-year-old Brighton Kaoma has.
He is currently Zambia’s United Nations International Children’s Education Fund (UNICEF) Climate Change ambassador, youth reporter for the Children’s Radio Foundation of South Africa, and co-founder of Agents of Change foundation.
Most recently, Brighton has been selected as one of the two Zambians to receive Queen Elizabeth’s Young Leadership Award.
Brighton and Regina Mtonga break the record of being the first Zambians to receive the prestigious award from Her Majesty-The Queen of England.
According to a media release from the British High Commission in Zambia, Brighton Kaoma and Regina are among 60 people from across the Commonwealth who are being recognised as exceptional leaders in their community.
The Award, which would be presented in London by Her Majesty The Queen in June, and is part of The Queen’s Young Leaders Programme, celebrates the achievements of young people who are taking the lead to transform the lives of others and make a lasting difference in their communities.
British High Commissioner to Zambia James Thornton is quoted to have congratulated the two young Zambians on their exceptional achievements.
“I congratulate Regina and Brighton on their recognition for their achievements and leadership skills. We are looking forward to seeing many more talented young Zambians achieving their dreams through this Programme.
I am confident that the two will use their leadership skills to inspire positive change on many issues affecting Zambia,” he said.
The winners of the 2015 Young Leader’s Award are citizens of Commonwealth countries and aged between 18 and 29 years.
These young people are being awarded for working to support others, raise awareness and inspire change on a variety of different issues including; education, climate change, gender equality, mental health and disability equality.
Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) chief executive Astrid Bonfield, said The leadership of talented young people in all spheres of life can transform communities and societies for the better.
“What the 60 young people announced today have achieved is remarkable and their plans for the future are truly inspiring.
The Queen’s Young Leaders Programme is poised to unlock the potential of this diverse and talented group of young people and we are delighted to be supporting them to go further and achieve more,” he said.
Brighton believes in using radio and low-cost communication technologies to educate young people.
As co-founder of Agents of Change, which equips participants with leadership and radio skills, he is making frantic efforts to reach out to many of his fellow young people in the country.
He co-designed the Zambia U-report SMS platform, which allows young people to text counselors with questions about HIV, AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Infections.
His counterpart Regina is co-founder of Asikana Network, an organisation that trains Zambian girls and young women in information and communications technology skills.
The organisation seeks to ensure that the young women find jobs in order to realise their potential
Regina is planning to link Network members to mentors in order to develop their skills further in the future.
This award is organised by the Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Trust, which established The Queen’s Young Leaders Programme in honour of Her Majesty the Queen’s 60 years of service to the Commonwealth at the time of her Diamond Jubilee.
Guided by the values of the Commonwealth Charter, the goal of the Programme is to enable young people to step up as leaders and improve the lives of people across the Commonwealth.
It is envisaged that over the next four years the Programme would support thousands of young people.
In addition to the Queen’s Young Leaders Awards, the Programme would provide grants to support organisations in selected countries across the Commonwealth that work with young people to transform their lives.
As part of the Award, winners would receive bespoke mentoring and online learning by the University of Cambridge.
Award winners would attend a week-long residential programme in the UK in June, when they will receive their award at Buckingham Palace from Her Majesty The Queen.
The criteria to win this award entails that nominees should have proven experience of working to improve their communities locally, regionally or at national level and able to show evidence of their achievements.
The Queen Elizabeth Diamond Jubilee Trust is a charitable foundation, established in 2012, to mark and celebrate Her Majesty The Queen’s 60-year contribution to the Commonwealth.
The Trust has programmes that work in alliance towards eliminating avoidable blindness and to empower a new generation of young leaders.
With a five-year timeframe in which to deliver successful programmes, the Trust’s aim is to leave a lasting legacy, owned by the whole Commonwealth, to honour Her Majesty The Queen.
Brighton is elated by the recognition by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth.
“I am very humbled to have been recognised at the age of 21, by Queen Elizabeth as one of the two young Zambians to receive the inaugural Queens Young Leaders Award.”
“I feel the award has come at a time when I have decided to rededicate myself to grooming young leaders who can save Zambia in the next five or 10 years,” he said.
He sees the award as being very timely because he believes that a lot of young people in Zambia Africa are beginning to take ownership of the continent’s destiny.
“I admire young people who are concerned with the affairs of their community and nation perhaps because I also became involved in activism whist I was still at school.
When I was in my 10th grade at Mitanto High School in Kitwe, I volunteered (for 3 years) to run a half an hour radio talk show on Climate Change at Radio Icengelo. That experience taught me the importance of empathy for man and nature, compassion, perseverance and ethical leadership”, he says.
His visitation to the African Leadership academy in South Africa last year catalysed his passion about Africa’s future.
Brighton says he is dedicating the award to grooming and cultivating a generation of young leaders in Zambia.
His passion for Zambia and the African continent is certain-young leaders are the change the continent should be seeking.
“My generation will bring prosperity to Zambia and Africa. We are taking ownership of our own destiny as African young leaders. It doesn’t matter how old we are.”
“We’ll identify young leaders who are passionate and interested in our work has Agents of Change and help become an exceptional leader. We’ll hold our leaders accountable to their action. Because the major challenge that Africa is facing right now is the issue of leadership,” he explained.
It is time young people took leaf from youthful leaders like Brighton positioning themselves from leadership roles in and outside their communities.
Young people like Brighton have proved that age should never be limiting factor in tapping leadership and potential from the young at heart.