18-year-old Kazakhstani Diana Murzagaliyeva honored with prestigious Diana Award
Diana Murzagaliyeva of Kazakhstan, aged 18, has received The Diana Award in recognition of her outstanding efforts in the social sphere, Kazinform News Agency correspondent reports citing the press service of the British embassy in Kazakhstan.
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, HRH The Prince of Wales and Prince Harry, The Duke of Sussex.
Diana, a passionate advocate for children with disabilities, has dedicated her life to supporting those facing challenges due to speech impairments and health issues. Diagnosed with dysarthria caused by decades of nuclear tests near her hometown of Semey, she overcame obstacles like bullying and surgeries, informed the UK embassy in Kazakhstan.
Unable to speak as a child, Diana expressed her thoughts through writing, later crafting stories about the dreams of children with disabilities, leading to creation of her animated film, Umit ar daiym zhanymyzda (“Hope is Always with Us”).
The Kazakhstani is the founder of the ‘Inclusive Academy’ and the AI-based app SpeakUp for people with speech disorders. She promotes global inclusivity through education, technology, and storytelling, it added.
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. They have been nominated by adults who know the young people in a professional capacity. This year The Diana Award received over 1700 nomination submissions in five key criteria: vision, social impact, inspiring others, youth leadership, and social action journey.
