The following article by Emma Heseltine, originally appeared in the Kensington & Chelsea Chronicle:
Peace award for Ladbroke Grove student
A student from Ladbroke Grove has been given a prestigious peace award by London Mayor Boris Johnson.
Moktar Alatas, 19, of Wilsham Street, was awarded the DREAM (Develop Real Examples and Mentors) award at the London Peace Awards 2011, in recognition of the impact of his social enterprise Aspire 2 Inspire, and his commitment to improving his community and empowering young people.
He established Aspire 2 Inspire last year, with the aim of empowering marginalised young people in Kensington and Chelsea, through building confidence, self-belief and personal aspirations.
And after inspiring 50 young people to improve their personal situations, Moktar was nominated by housing charity the Octavia Foundation, for the prize.
After winning the award, Moktar said: "I feel truly humbled by this recognition. I would like to thank the Octavia Foundation for nominating me and for their ongoing support, and also to my wonderful team for their relentless commitment to Aspire 2 Inspire and unshaken belief in our work.
"I believe that working to serve others is a wonderful way to lead your life and this London Peace Award has encouraged me to continue to do so.
"My dream is to help others to achieve the greatness of their potential, and in doing so, allow them to in turn influence others to be great - to aspire to inspire."
Reena Mukherji, director of the Octavia Foundation, who nominated Moktar for the award, added: "We are delighted that Moktar's hard work and commitment to his local community has been recognised and celebrated in this way.
"He is a fantastic young person who has already achieved so much - the Octavia Foundation is very proud to offer support and partnership to Moktar as he develops the enterprise."
The London Peace Awards are an annual celebration of London's unsung heroes, and were held as part of the London Week of Peace (September 18-25).
To find out more about Aspire 2 Inspire, visit www.a2i-youth.co.uk.