PRTA Award

MOJATU FOUNDATION RECEIVES PRINCESS ROYAL TRAINING AWARD (PRTA)

PRTA 2021 Celebration and Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Celebration

- By Penny Cooper

Mojatu Foundation were celebrating their success over receipt of the Princess Royal Training Award 2021, a fantastic achievement, and alongside this award a commendation for the inclusivity and diversity of our training. Wow, what a success story. It seems fitting to celebrate the award on the weekend of the Queens Platinum Jubilee celebration. After filling out an application, and being interviewed by City and Guilds, and a few delays due to COVID 19, we received the award on 28 April 2022, at the Mansion House in London, presented by Princess Ann herself. In receipt of the award were Julia Paul, Angela Wathoni and Cecily Mwaniki, Mojatu Foundation’s representatives. What a surprise it was to the team when we were acknowledged with a further presentation for our inclusivity and diversity in training.

Recognising the magnanimity of the award and the immense contributions and efforts invested in this accolade by the entire staff (past and present), volunteers, partners and funders, Mojatu Foundation held a thanksgiving and appreciatory party on Friday 3 June 2022. The day was chosen to celebrate the award along with the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee celebration. We were honoured to have as our VIP guest, the Lord Mayor, Cllr Wendy Smith, at our event. She graciously entertained our guests and pictures were taken with the Lord Mayor and guests for the first hour of the evening, when the Lord Mayor had to leave. In attendance was a respected corps of dignitaries from the wider community of Nottinghamshire, partners, ethnic minority groups, community leaders and a cross section of the community.

We had a group of Ugandan students in attendance who were on an exchange visit programme in the UK with Nottingham Trent University, an institution we enjoy flourishing partnership. It was exciting for the students to get their picture taken with our Lord Mayor, a great souvenir to return home with. The event also availed us the opportunity to engage the students about our work in FGM before their return to Uganda.

A little background of Mojatu Foundation

One of our organisation’s core goals is to end Female Genital Mutilation (FGM) in a generation. Mojatu Foundation organised training for faith leaders in Nottinghamshire and Young persons, to become volunteers as FGM Ambassadors working in the community. Research demonstrated that both faith

leaders and young persons were two key areas to reach an audience we might not otherwise have been able to reach in our quest to disseminate information regarding the dangers and implications of FGM. We trained the various groups over the period of a year and supported them to return to their congregations and pass on our message to “End FGM Together”.

44 participants underwent the training and successfully completed and engaged with the learning to return to their communities. Through a variety of awareness raising methods such as conversations, handouts, workshops among others, they helped families to speak out and come forward for help. This award was about the team, the volunteers, staff, partners, funders and the community of Nottingham at large. WOW, I say again, as Chair of Mojatu Foundation, what a marvellous evening it was.

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