Petronilla Molioo Mataeliga has been to London to see the Queen.
She’s the winner of Queen Elizabeth’s Young Leaders Award and she and her parents have just returned from the presentation ceremony in London.
Petronilla, who’s from the village of Faleapuna, took over from her grandmother to lead the Fala Masi Revival Project.
National statistics show 9% of women in Samoa are out of work and Ms Mataeliga says learning new skills such as handicrafts can give them more financial independence.
She said in an interview with RNZI, “We are going through a very hard phase with teenage pregnancy, so a lot of dropouts. My mother and also my aunties that are involved in the Faleapuna committee, they try to bring all the young women in, give them something to learn and at the same time they can provide for their families.”
His Royal Highness Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex spoke at the awards ceremony at Buckingham Palace before Her Majesty handed out the awards.
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