Lauren was actually awarded First Prize in the Senior Creative Category in 2020 but successive lockdowns meant she wasn’t able to meet up with Baroness Caroline Cox, Life Peer and Founder of the Humanitarian Aid Relief Trust, until now. The HART Prize for Human Rights aims to raise awareness of conflict, poverty and human rights abuses, especially among young people.

Lauren says: “I won the prize in their Senior Creative Category after submitting a poem about the plight of refugees fleeing conflict and sexual violence in South Sudan. Millions of people have been displaced in South Sudan, fleeing the country in fear for their lives and resulting in Africa’s largest refugee crisis. Over one million of these refugees have crossed into Uganda, creating overcrowded camps, food shortages and a lack of proper sanitation, made even worse by flooding.“

Following the meeting in the House of Lords, Lauren said: “It was incredible and inspiring to speak to Baroness Cox about HART’s work in communities impacted by protracted conflict, oppression, human rights abuses and deeply entrenched poverty. I am incredibly grateful to have met her in-person. We spoke about the importance of combining aid with advocacy to empower communities and promote human rights.

“Baroness Cox shared stories about her visits to countries neglected by major aid organisations and underrepresented by the international media. Her tales of human suffering were shocking and compounded the urgent need for aid and relief in various countries, such as Nigeria, Syria, Sudan, South Sudan, and Burma (Myanmar). HART continually partners with local people to promote better healthcare, education, peace, justice and freedom.“

To find out more about the charity’s work, please visit their website: https://www.hart-uk.org/