LONDON: Pakistani student Momin Saqib has been recognised as one of ten Commonwealth Youth COVID-19 Heroes at the Commonwealth Youth Awards 2021.
According to details, Momin Saqib was recognised for ‘One Million Meals’, a charitable initiative that he co-founded with Arif Malik, a British-Pakistani restaurateur and award-winning chef, Raja Suleman Raza, in March 2020.
Backed by football legend David Beckham, the initiative was an emergency response to the COVID-19 crisis in the UK to help provide free, warm meals to the National Health Service (NHS) staff and other key workers.
The initiative has provided over 100,000 meals and beverages in more than 200 locations through 47 hospitals, trusts, and food banks. “I am humbled to be recognised as a Commonwealth Youth COVID-19 Hero,” he said.
“I would like to thank all the volunteers who made this possible. The skills and relationships I developed during my time as both a student and staff member at King’s College London enabled me to turn this idea into a reality,” Momin said.
Saqib initially made history by getting elected as the first non-EU president of the students union at the King’s College London in 144 years and being awarded the Honorary Life Membership with a permanent plaque at the famous Bush House.
Although widely-recognised through his viral ‘Maro Mujhe Maro’ video during the 2019 cricket World Cup, Saqib is working as an actor these days in several soaps.
The Commonwealth Youth Awards recognise young people who are actively involved in bringing about meaningful change and are integral to creating a more innovative and interconnected future.