5 minute read
8 YEARS AFTER
By Arizza Ann S. Nocum
If I could crystallize the feeling of being recognized as a Zonta Young Women for Public Affairs (YWPA) Awardee in 2011 in one quote, this saying by Marianne Williamson would fit the bill:
Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, 'Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?' Actually, who are you not to be?
Who am I not to be? I am and I can - that's the validation that the Zonta YWPA Award, in 2011, so generously gave me I was 16 years old when I climbed up the stage in Sofitel Manila to receive the award from YWPA Award officials As a fresh high school graduate, I did not see myself as worthy of the award
I volunteered and served actively in high school I was leading a non-profit group for peace and education Yet, these things seemed too miniscule because to be globally recognized by Zonta was an infusion of confidence and motivation that I had never felt before It was as if thousands of inspiring women all over the world told me, “We believe in you ”
The way I saw it, the YWPA Award did not just recognize me; it challenged me. And thus, Day 1 after receiving the award, I decided to devote more time, more energy and more focus on building up KRIS, a non-profit organization promoting peace in the Philippines through education.
From 2011 to 2017, KRIS built six libraries in areas affected by conflict and poverty. Each library was equipped with books, computers, and other learning materials that empowered young people with the knowledge, empathy, and values critical to peace. Through KRIS, I also started a scholarship program that provided small grants to more than 400 elementary to collegeaged students.
In recognition of my work in the Philippines, I was then tapped in 2016 to become part of the Extremely Together youth council. The council is composed of 10 young leaders from all over the world handpicked by the late former United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan from all over the world to prevent global violent extremism. As part of this council, I worked with my fellow young leaders to create learning materials to inspire and inform young people about peace-building.
As the daughter of a Muslim mother and a Catholic father, I also sought to share my personal story of peace and my journey with KRIS to fellow young people not just in the Philippines but also overseas. I have been privileged to share this story in various youth forums and conferences in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Belgium, Australia, Singapore, Thailand and more.
I graduated with a bachelor of science degree in industrial engineering, magna cum laude, from the University of the Philippines Diliman. Upon completion, I was conferred UP’s Gawad Tsanselor Para Sa Natatanging Mag-aaral and the Garrick Yao Memorial Award for Service. I was also awarded as one of the Ten Outstanding Students of the Philippines in 2016.
Today, I continue to work with KRIS to promote peace and education with schools, youth organizations and communities, while balancing my work as the managing director of a marketing consulting firm that I co-founded in 2020. Truly, the task of making myself worthy of that YWPA Award is an ongoing challenge.
Click here to watch Arizza’s interview with One Young World
In these eventful 13 years, I know that I would never have recognized that I was “powerful beyond measure” if not for Zonta and the YWPA Award. I would never have gained the support of outstanding women all over the world who live out the meaning of the award. I would never have looked at myself with the same faith, confidence and motivation as I do now. Thank you, Zonta Club of Quezon City and Zonta International. You have made a world of a difference in the life of this young woman who, up to now, strives to make a difference in the world.
From 2020-2022, an external audit evaluation by One Young World shared that KRIS’s estimated impact was at US$4,985,971.47 Since 2020, KRIS has trained more than 3,000 young Filipinos through Extremely Together and other peacebuilding programs, with an additional 600,000 indirectly reached through online information campaigns.
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