15-yr-old girl wins international peace prize

By , K24 Digital
On Thu, 21 Nov, 2019 18:12 | < 1 min read
Divina Maloum
Divina Maloum, 15, has won the international peace prize for her work with young people who have suffered extremist violence. PHOTO | AFP
Divina Maloum, 15, has won the international peace prize for her work with young people who have suffered extremist violence. PHOTO | AFP

Fifteen-year-old Cameroonian Divina Maloum has won a children's international peace prize for her work with young people who have suffered extremist violence, particularly in the north of her country.

The prize was awarded by Dutch organisation KidsRights, which says it wants children to be recognised for their efforts to improve their own situation.

Environmental activist Greta Thunberg also won the award alongside Ms Maloum.

In 2014, the Cameroonian teenager founded the Children for Peace movement to work with child victims of terror.

She goes to communities to talk to children about their rights and tell them that they do not have to be drawn into the violence.

Boko Haram - which is based in Nigeria - has been carrying out attacks over the border in Cameroon since 2014.

The group often recruit children — particularly girls — to carry out attacks. 

A video produced by KidsRights shows Ms Maloum warning young Cameroonians not to get involved.

She can be seen displaying a cartoon, with the title "I'm not a hero when I carry bombs", which shows a young girl refusing to wear a suicide vest.