GERMANY-OBAMA SISTER Obama's half-sister likens German youth award to Oscar for young people

Record ID: 141247

  • Title: GERMANY-OBAMA SISTER Obama's half-sister likens German youth award to Oscar for young people
  • Date: 10th September 2015
  • Summary: BERLIN, GERMANY (SEPTEMBER 10, 2015) (REUTERS) ***WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** SIGN ON WALL 'FRIEDRICHSTADTPALAST', VENUE OF AWARD CEREMONY, READING (English/German) 'SAUTI KUU, ACT NOW, YOUTH AWARD 2015' SPEAKERS ENTER STAGE, AMONG THEM AUMA OBAMA, INITIATOR OF 'ACT NOW YOUTH AWARD' AND HALF-SISTER OF U.S. PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA AUDIENCE AUMA OBAMA SPEAKING (SOUNDBITE) (German) FOUNDER AND CHAIRWOMAN SAUTI KUU FOUNDATION, AUMA OBAMA, SAYING: "I always wanted to have an award for young people. I always wanted to celebrate young people because we work with them and tell them to be active, but we must also appreciate that. And we need to celebrate that in order for them to be motivated to do more." WALL DISPLAYING INITIATOR AUMA OBAMA AND PATRON MANUEL NEUER, WITH OBAMA SPEAKING AUDIENCE (SOUNDBITE) (German) FOUNDER AND CHAIRWOMAN SAUTI KUU FOUNDATION, AUMA OBAMA, SAYING: "To me it's like the Oscars of young people. We will accomplish that, with your help. And people all over the world will talk about it." WALL WITH PICTURE OF GERMAN CHANCELLOR ANGELA MERKEL (SOUNDBITE) (German) FOUNDER AND CHAIRWOMAN SAUTI KUU FOUNDATION, AUMA OBAMA, SAYING: "As far as I am concerned, Germany is on top regarding its humanitarian willingness to help and social engagement. And now with the refugees you can see that. And for me as someone who has lived in Germany for 16 years, got to know its society and was accepted in it, who studied here, became an adult here, it is a thank you to the German people to tell them that we want to celebrate the tradition of giving, we want to continue that tradition of giving. I want the young people here to be seen and to be celebrated so that those who are not yet doing so are being motivated to do the same." AUDIENCE OBAMA ON STAGE
  • Embargoed: 25th September 2015 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: Germany
  • Country: Germany
  • Topics: General
  • Reuters ID: LVA7E8LGYHE638HFM95VIP1EWRZN
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: Auma Obama, founder and chairwoman of the Sauti Kuu Foundation and half-sister of U.S. President Barack Obama, on Thursday (September 10) likened a German youth award to the "Oscar for young people."
    Auma Obama's foundation, which "would like to give a voice to underprivileged children and youths around the world," according to the organisation's website, said it wanted to reward the volunteer work of young people in clubs, initiatives or a school class.
    The 'Act Now 2015' award was celebrated for the first time this year and honours volunteer work for social, humanitarian and ecological projects.
    "I always wanted to celebrate young people because we work with them and tell them to be active, but we must also appreciate that. And we need to celebrate that in order for them to be motivated to do more," Obama told reporters during a news conference, speaking German.
    Auma Obama was born and raised in Kenya and later studied in Germany where she received a master's degree from Heidelberg university before getting her PhD from Bayreuth university in Bavaria.
    On the award, she said "to me it's like the Oscars of the young people."
    "It is a thank you to the German people to tell them that we want to celebrate the tradition of giving, we want to continue that tradition of giving," she said.
    "I want the young people here to be seen and to be celebrated so that those who are not yet doing so are being motivated to do the same."
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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