North Park Theological Seminary has honored Princess Kasune Zulu S’14, the first female member of Parliament in her home nation of Zambia, with the North Park Theological Seminary Award for Distinguished Service.
The award was presented in January at the 2019 Midwinter Conference in Denver by David Kersten, Vice President for Church Relations and Dean of the Seminary, who lauded Zulu for her work with children, most of whom are orphans or afflicted with the HIV/AIDS virus.
For Zulu, the work is personal: She was orphaned at 15 when both her parents and a baby sister died of AIDS, leaving her to take care of three younger siblings. She herself was diagnosed as HIV-Positive in 1997, which spurred her to break the silence surrounding the stigma of the disease, especially among girls and young women.
“The honorable Princess Kasune Zulu comes from humble beginnings, and yet has become a world-renowned advocate for children,” Kersten said in presenting the award.
Zulu founded Fountain of Life, a nonprofit group that partners with villages in rural Zambia to build schools and provide clean water and education to children. She is the author of Warrior Princess, an autobiography.
Zulu also hosts a radio talk show, Positive Living, that has been translated into eight languages and received acclaim from the U.S. Embassy in Zambia. She has met with many world leaders, including President George W. Bush, and her work has been featured in national and international publications, including The Wall Street Journal and USA Today and on BBC News.
She has spoken to the United Nations and testified at a hearing committee on Capitol Hill, which led to $51 billion being allocated to the fight against malaria, TB, HIV, and AIDS.