A multi-awarded and globally recognized 23-year old young Filipina received this year’s Women’s International Network for Disaster Risk Reduction (WIN DRR) Rising Star award – the first Filipino to win the prestigious accolade.
Robyn Mijares is the founder and executive director of Youth Uprising – a non-profit organization which provides free accessible environmental and agricultural education to the marginalized Filipino youth of public schools across the country in both classrooms and farmlands.
Mijares was named WIN DRR Rising Star winner during the 10th Session of the Asia-Pacific Ministerial Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction (APMCDRR) at the Philippine International Convention Center (PICC) on Wednesday, Oct. 16, 2024.
The APMC serves as the main platform in Asia and the Pacific in monitoring, reviewing and enhancing cooperation for the implementation of the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030 — the global blueprint for preventing and reducing new and existing disaster risks in the world’s most disaster-prone regions.
In her speech, Mijares said she was “profoundly honored for the award” as she acknowledged the remarkable achievements of her fellow finalists who, like her, played a pivotal role in understanding, preventing and reducing disaster risk in the world’s most disaster-prone region.
Finalists include Nayyab Ali from Pakistan, India’s Dr. Nairwita Bandyopadhyay, Indonesia Country Manager for Build Change Mediatrich Triani, New Zealand’s Jewel Luti Leao Tuitama, and Nepal’s Liva Shrestha.
Mijares Rishared her award with these women as she recognized that “each story we’ve shared is not just a testament to resilience, it’s a call to action.”
Mijares’ “Oh my, Garden: Grow Your Own Food Contest” initiative stood out as a pioneering effort in response to the urgent food insecurity threat brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, demonstrating the power of grassroots movements in addressing global challenges.
Mijares showed how a simple classroom assignment from a 19-year-old girl grew into a powerful movement to combat hunger—one of the slowest yet most persistent disasters faced on a day to day.
Mijares also founded Grow School Philippines, the first bamboo farm school located in Nasugbu, Batangas which provides free accessible environmental and agricultural programs to public schools across the Philippines.
Her active participation in international forums and summits highlights her role as a global advocate for youth empowerment, gender equality, and sustainable development.
Her various accolades – from Oxfam Pilipinas, SONY Music Philippines, UNICEF Philippines and the United Nations Development Programme, to cite a few – underscore the broad impact of her work.
(To know more about Mijares and her works, you may visit Youth Uprising’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/YouthUprisingPH)
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