UCT student Jessica Dewhurst received the inaugural Queens Young Leader Award at Buckingham Palace. The event was attended by members of the royal family and celebrities, who included David Beckham. Dewhurst is one of two South African recipients of the award.

UCT graduate Jessica Dewhurst is one of 60 young people from across the commonwealth to receive the 2016 Queens Young Leader Award. This is a royal initiative aimed at discovering and supporting exceptional individuals who are transforming lives in their communities. She recently participated in a weeklong residential programme in the United Kingdom before receiving the award from HRH Queen Elizabeth II at a star-studded event held at Buckingham Palace in June.

A firebrand and an advocate for social change, she has worked alongside at-risk youth, victims of abuse, in schools and even in prisons for more than 10 years. She holds two qualifications from the University of Cape Town: a Bachelor of Social Science degree in Social Development and Sociology (2013) and an Honours degree in Social Development (2014) and says that she developed this interest in social justice whilst still in high school. “I attended the Christian Brothers College where values of service and engaging on the margins were inculcated. I started working with NGOs from the age of fifteen, which brought me into contact with refugee children as well as those affected by HIV/Aids. Even though this was fulfilling work, I soon realised that we were sending children back into dysfunctional environments without really affecting change in their lives. That’s when I decided to pursue a professional career in justice work,” she says. Although Dewhurst comes from an entrepreneurial family (her parents own a clothing manufacturing business) she says that they were raised to be service-orientated. Her grandfather taught her the value of serving others and her parents and siblings still find opportunities to participate in projects to assist vulnerable people.

At eighteen, Dewhurst became a youth coordinator for The Edmund Rice Network in South Africa and she has been an ERI UN Youth Ambassador since 2012. During her second year at UCT, she attended a UN Human Rights international training programme on justice, advocacy and the importance of transforming society. That experience informed one of her guiding principles: that it is every person’s responsibility to transform society. “Having worked with local schools, I don’t believe that children today are being taught about civil service. So whenever I meet young people I always tell them that they have the power to make a difference in society. They are the change agents,” she says. In 2013 she co-founded The Edmund Rice Justice Desk for South Central Africa to raise public awareness on social justice issues. Her organisation coordinates social and eco-justice programmes, facilitates skills training for vulnerable youth and hosts volunteerism projects such as The Umoya Project in Khayelitsha, which focuses on the rights of the disabled and the elderly. Through their 'In-Reach' programme, vulnerable youth are taught skills that will improve their chances of employment. The organization see themselves as working alongside government in combating social inequality and, advocating on behalf of those who suffer infringements on their human rights.

The Queens Young Leader Award is awarded to youth across the commonwealth for a period of four years. Thereafter, recipients hold the life-long title, becoming Her Majesty’s social justice ambassadors around the world. This level of patronage is hugely significant because some of the biggest obstacles facing aid organisations include lack of capacity and resources as well as access to funding. The Edmund Rice Justice Desk for South Central Africa receives funding from the Irish Misean Cara as well as from the Australian Edmund Rice Foundation. Belonging to the Edmund Rice network has made it easier to source funding however this has not been enough to cover all costs. Dewhurst says that working within communities, presents unexpected challenges. “There is often a lack of understanding about basic human rights and I have noticed that in the Western Cape in particular, people have come to accept poverty and inequality as the norm without understanding that these are social constructs. Community leaders would say to me: why is this something we should fight when our fathers were poor and our grandfathers were poor?” The Queens Young Leader Award aims to bridge the skills and resource gap and provide organisations with invaluable networks, opening doors that would otherwise be difficult to access. Awardees receive mentorship and online learning provided by the University of Cambridge and, each one is paired with a regional mentor. Dewhurst is currently working with award-winning Business and Brand strategist Celine Loader on growing her organisation’s brand exposure, and organisational objectives. Loader’s multi-sector career includes Microsoft, the United Bank for Africa, Aspire Media, Seplat Petroleum Development, and many others.

She says that meeting the Queen was an unforgettable experience.  She was impressed with her in-depth knowledge of the individual projects and with her commitment to their success. Although this latest accolade represents a significant endorsement for her work and for her organisation, she remains pragmatic about the challenges ahead. ‘Advocacy work is about challenging the status quo. It means that you are going to be totally invested in that project without necessarily seeing the immediate impact. Someone once told me that I would never see the fruits of my labour. However, I chose social development because of its potential to open up so many doors. I have been offered jobs from all over the world. My studies and encounters have given me that - equipping me with diverse skills” says Dewhurst.

In between balancing a demanding work schedule as well as new responsibilities associated with the Queens Young Leader programme, Dewhurst finds time to continue her studies at UCT. She recently submitted her Masters dissertation in Social Development.