Norway’s Crown Princely couple were in Kristiansand Monday to present the winners of this year’s Crown Princely Humanitarian Fund. The award is given to support projects to promote diversity in Norway, and to eradicate poverty and promote education abroad.
Kjell Inge Søreide / Scanpix
This year, the winners were the Missionary Alliance project in Ecuador and Foundation Shonglap project in Bangladesh. Salma Sultana received the award on behalf of Shonglap, while Wendy Josa accepted on behalf of the Jóvenes emprendedores.
Both Haakon and Mette-Marit gave speeches at the ceremony held at University College. It was the Crown Princess who told her story of earning money on her own.
“I remember so very well the first time I earned my own money. I was 14 years old and lived with my aunt in the summer of Langenes in Søgne, when I and my cousin rode to the parish center to pick strawberries. Then I realized for the first time in my life the true meaning of money, and not least how long it takes to pick a whole basket of strawberries,” said Crown Princess Mette-Marit as laughter spread through the assembly.
But then she turned serious: “I think some of the most important thing in the world today is to strengthen young people’s options. That young people will take education, be aware of their rights, the opportunity to use their resources, become independent and earn their own money.”
Crown Prince Haakon joined in during the joint speech. “We have a historic opportunity to eradicate the extreme poverty in the world. Entrepreneurship and innovation have an important role to play in the relationship,” he said.
“I think some of the most important thing in the world today is to strengthen young people’s options. That young people will take education, be aware of their rights, the opportunity to use their resources, become independent and earn their own money,” Mette-Marit added.
After the speeches, videos were shown of the winners at work. Following that part, Wendy Josa and Salma Sultana received their awards. The two women got diplomas and checks for NOK 300,000 to help fund their projects.
Jóvenes emprendedores means young entrepreneurs and is a new project that combines loans and training for young people aged between 17 and 23 years in Zonase margin ales in Guayaquil, Ecuador. The aim is that young people will gain their own livelihood in order to reduce the financial burden for their parents and most importantly for the young people learn early to work. It reduces social problems and give young people greater confidence.
With micro-credit and support from Jóvenes emprendedores, Wendy Josa established her own business where she sells cosmetics and skin care products from a catalog. The income she has from the sale fund, among other things, go to her medical studies.
As for Salma Sultana, her Foundation Shonglap program in Bangladesh is a one-year education for unmarried girls between 11 and 19 years who have missed school because of poverty. So far, 40,000 women completed the program.
Source: Kongehuset, FVN
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