“My parents always tell me that I’m the kind of kid to break a remote to know what’s inside,” Princess says with a smile. It’s this deep curiosity and belief that every experience is worth the journey that has shaped the 18-year-old into the passionate youth advocate she is today.
With an impressive advocacy background including serving as Premier of the YMCA’s NSW Youth Parliament in 2024, Princess was selected out of hundreds of applicants to become one of UNICEF Australia’s Young Ambassadors for 2025. The program gives young Australians aged 16-24 the opportunity to speak up for children’s rights and what matters to Australia’s young people.
Find out more about our Young Ambassadors programFrom Sierra Leone to Sydney
Born in Sierra Leone during the country’s decade-long civil war, Princess was just three years old when she and her family fled to Australia as refugees with the assistance of humanitarian organisations like UNICEF.
“My memory isn’t strong as I was very small at the time, but my mum reminds me that some of the most pressing issues they faced in Sierra Leone were the lack of basic necessities such as medical facilities and how that impacted the children there,” Princess said.
During the 1990s, Sierra Leone endured 11 years of civil war, which killed over 50,000 people and impacted the lives of millions of children. A conflict marked by violence and human rights abuses left deep scars across the nation. Over the last decade, Sierra Leone has suffered significant outbreaks of preventable diseases including cholera and measles, while natural disasters such as droughts and floods have further impacted communities.
After moving to Sydney, Princess said she and her family initially struggled to fit in and often experienced racism. At school, the other students would make fun of the food she ate and the clothes she wore. But these days, Princess feels like Australians – particularly younger generations – have generally become more accepting of people of other ethnicities and cultures.
Finding her voice
After seeing how much her parents had sacrificed for her to come to Australia as a young child, Princess was inspired to embark on her advocacy journey to help create a better world for children.
“I have an opportunity that many others like me from Africa, the Middle East and all over the world do not,” she said. “I want to be able to provide a voice for those children by working with organisations like UNICEF who genuinely have the power to help.”
During her time heading the NSW Youth Parliament in 2024, Princess worked on legislation that would elevate First Nations cultural education in the state’s school curriculum. The bill aimed to help First Nations students reconnect with their cultural identities and improve attendance rates and improve engagement with the school system.
Currently studying social work at university, Princess is passionate about empowering young people to have their say on issues that affect them. “It’s absolutely crucial to hear as many different perspectives as possible; perspectives from people that are actually suffering or those on the receiving end of policies,” Princess says.
She also believes education is the first thing a young person should aim for if they want to become an advocate for an issue they care about. But it doesn’t mean you need to have finished high school or earned a university degree. "The power that you have with the internet... there are so many different perspectives you can read up on, or events you can sign yourself up for to keep learning more,” she said.
"There are so many issues that us young people have to keep up with every day that it can feel like a lot to take in. But there are so many avenues where we can start our own organisations, we can start our own fundraisers, we can be our own leaders and create the change that we want to see in the world."
From youth advocate to Young Ambassador
As a UNICEF Australia Young Ambassador, Princess advocates for children and young people to have a say in the issues that affect them. Her focus is on ensuring that their voices are heard by decisionmakers, providing them with platforms to speak up, participate meaningfully in decision-making processes, and drive meaningful change in their communities and beyond.
The Young Ambassadors are tasked with the responsibility of listening to young Australians and championing their voices on the national and international stage, including at global forums like COP.
"The UNICEF Australia Young Ambassador program has been an amazing platform for me – not only because I’ve been able to spread awareness on the various avenues available to young people to publicly express the things they are passionate about, but also because it has added credibility to the advocacy work I do."
A bright future ahead
Princess has been recently nominated as delegate to the Multicultural Youth Alliance Network. This program enables migrant and refugee children and young people to go to Australian Parliament and talk directly to decision makers about the hardships they face and provide recommendations.
Always looking ahead, Princess is also in the middle of starting her own NGO alongside her best friend. The organisation will be aimed at easing the transition for new migrant and refugee children coming to Australia by connecting them with community members and helpful resources.
UNICEF Australia looks forward to all the wonderful work Princess and the other Young Ambassadors will be involved in to reach new heights and elevate youth voices across Australia and the world.
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