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A young Canadian, Nebiyou Timotewos, aged 20, has been recognized with the highest accolade a young person can achieve for social action or humanitarian efforts – The Diana Award.
Established in memory of Diana, Princess of Wales, the Award is given out by the charity of the same name and has the support of both her sons, Prince William, The Prince of Wales and Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex.
Timotewos began social work at the age of 15 with the Secord Youth Council, aiding homeless individuals with food, clothing and gardening services.
Overcoming personal hardship, including Yemen war displacement and living in a Canadian shelter, he embraced the motto: “There Is a Power in Kindness.”
At university, he founded two non-profit organizations: ‘Brothers4Brothers’, a mentorship program for young men’s mental health, and ‘Communities Care’, which has supported over 1,500 youth in Canada and Ethiopia with essential items and workshops.
His “Kindness Tour” inspired more than 10,000 people and raised funds for orphans. Now on his “Stronger Together” world tour, he raises funds for scholarships to help African street youth transition into classrooms.
Just nine months after becoming a Canadian citizen in February 2024, he has earned the highest and most prestigious award a young person can achieve worldwide.
“I know my mother, in whose memory you receive the Diana Award today, would be immensely proud of you. I hope this award helps you to further champion your cause and support those around you,” Prince William said to the award recipients. “Thank you for your dedication.”
“We warmly congratulate our new Diana Award recipients from across the world who are dedicating their time to making positive change,” added Dr. Tessy Ojo, CBE, CEO of The Diana Award. “These young people demonstrate that young people have the power to change the world; a belief also held by Diana Princess of Wales. We know by receiving this honour they will inspire more young people to get involved in their communities.”
Diana Award recipients have been nominated by adults who know young people in a professional capacity and want to recognize their efforts to make a positive contribution to society. All Diana Award recipients have dedicated a minimum of 12 months to leading positive social change through a variety of activities from campaigning and educating, to fundraising to delivering services.
In 2024, there was over 80 volunteers representing over 30 countries, who came together in panels, read through and marked each nomination against five key criteria: vision, social impact, inspiring others, youth leadership and social action journey.
Each judging panel consisted of at least three judges who understand the value of young people, including one young person representative. The panels have an important main purpose: to determine which nominations will receive the Diana Award.
This year The Diana Award received over 1700 nomination submissions, making this the most competitive year yet.
