Winners OKP Impact Awards announced during Partner Days

Through the art of dance, Feri de Geus of Le Grand Cru aims to start conversations about sexual violence in Africa (see header photo). For her - and her organisation's - heroic efforts, she was named the winner of the inaugural OKP Impact Awards, part of the annual Orange Knowledge Programme Partner Days. In addition to the honour, she won a € 2,500 grant.

Building confidence

“We train young artists to become professionals and teachers, and equip them with skills to become agents of change”, De Geus said. “We use a unique combination of academic dance drama techniques and participatory learning to reach vulnerable youngsters. We build their confidence, find their voice and assert their rights. Our work is visible and tangible by means of performances and after-talks about awareness and social change.”

Over the last 12 years, Le Grand Cru has trained around 200 people intensively, which results in an estimated total reach of 200,000 people.

"We train young artists to become professionals and teachers, and equip them with skills to become agents of change"

Other winners

The second place of the OKP Impact Awards, and a € 1,500 cheque, went to Dahiana Manjarres Espinosa (Colombia). The jury awarded the third place and a € 1,000 grant to Salomé Phiri (Zambia).

The winners were chosen by a jury out of 75 submissions and a shortlist of 14. The jury consisted of Gro Tjore, Jeroen Kelderhuis, Joannie Marlene Bewa, Geraldine Beaujean, and Andrew Mbogori.

Shared challenges

The overarching theme of the Partner Days was ‘Shared challenges and opportunities, present and future’. Throughout the online events participants discussed lessons learned and how these can be put into practice in the future.

Speakers during the event included Pascalle Grotenhuis (Dutch ambassador gender equality), Roos Hogenkamp (manager Orange Knowledge Programme) and Joannie Marlene Bewa (researcher and global advocate for women’s health and education, keynote).