Monrovia — Nathan N. Gbelee, Founder and Executive Director of the Sustainable Educational Initiative of Liberia SEIL Inc., has won the International Young African Leaders Award (YALA), which is the most prestigious award in Morocco.
The award celebrates young African leaders working in the Sustainable Development Goals & Agenda 2063 of the African Union in its Education Star Category in Rabat, Morocco on May 13, 2023.
SEIL Inc., is a non-political, non-governmental, and non for profit organization with the exclusive purpose of building Liberia through sustainable education as a means of contributing immensely to the growth of Liberia through human resource development, and enhanced capacity building thereby buttressing the national government's effort in reforming Liberia's Educational system in acquiesce to goal Four (4) of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Quality Education, and also ensure that every child's right to education is protected in affinity with sections 9.1 and 9.2 of the Liberian Children's Law of 2011.
According to the organizers, the Young Liberian made it to the top 30 final stage along with 29 youths from other African countries in the EDUCAstagesSTAR category, after a rigorous process of nomination, presentation of substantial projects with scoop alignment with SDGs, project social impacts, leadership and character and indicators of works done in country, and across Africa in education; earmarking the Sustainable the Development Goals (SDG-4, Quality Education) and the Agenda 2063 of the African Union.
Meanwhile, the Young African Leaders Awards (YALA) is an annual event organized by the African Youth Architects, a youth driven organization improving Africa through education and youth-driven in Morocco.
Furthermore, Gbelee has received several other national and international awards and recognitions overtime for his passion, commitment and actions to promote quality education in line with Goal Four of the SDGs, youth development and capacity building among others, including the Young African Leaders Initiative (YALI) Excellence Award in Ghana (2018).
He also received the Young African Hero by Today's Heroes Magazine from Nigeria ( 2021), Young Liberian Excellence Award for Academic Excellence, and Community Service and Volunteerism from the Liberia Research and Development Networks in 2018 and 2019 among others.
"Accordingly, we congratulate the young Liberian change maker for representing and raising the flag of Liberia on the international stage and encourage him to continue to make impact; thus, promoting quality education youth development and campaign city building," Yayeh Initiative, an education based organization said to FrontPageAfrica over the weekend.
The group has meanwhile encouraged Gbelee to continue aiming high in putting Lberia on the world map.