Malika Hamid, Kurt Hahn Prize Winner 2026

We are delighted to announce Malika Hamid of First Steps School of Arts & Sciences in Pakistan, as this year’s Kurt Hahn Prize recipient, in recognition of her outstanding commitment to expanding access to literacy and educational opportunity through her student-led initiative, PassThePages. 

The inspiration behind PassThePages

Growing up, Malika’s grandfather encouraged his grandchildren to collect and donate their schoolbooks at the end of each academic year. Together, they would package the books and send them to students in underserved communities across Pakistan. At the time, Malika saw it simply as a family tradition. It was only later, after travelling into rural communities herself, that she began to understand its significance. 

“I met students who believed there were only four countries in the world because they had never seen a world map,” Malika recalls. “That stayed with me. I realised how many children were completely cut off, not only from books and libraries, but from opportunities, information, and awareness of the wider world.” 

That experience became the foundation for PassThePages, a youth-led literacy initiative that redistributes pre-loved books from privileged schools to underfunded schools and rural communities across Pakistan. What began as a small local effort has since developed into a nationwide movement.  

To date, Malika’s initiative has donated more than 7,000 books, supported over 1,050 CARE-managed schools, and reached approximately 325,000 students across the country. The student-led initiative now includes volunteers across seven schools and colleges managing book drives, sorting and packaging donations, and coordinating logistics in their own communities, supported by partnerships with CARE Foundation Pakistan. 

The value of pre-loved books

Whilst the initiative is thriving now, Malika met with some resistance in its early days.

“In Pakistan, there can be a stigma around pre-loved things,” she explains. “ But I saw knowledge, effort, and the experiences of students being passed forward to help somebody else.” 

Many of the donated textbooks arrive filled with handwritten annotations, highlighted passages, revision tips, and carefully prepared notes from previous students studying IB, A Levels, and other curricula. Rather than removing those traces, PassThePages embrace them as part of the learning experience. 

“We’re not just recycling books,” Malika says. “We’re recycling understanding.” 

Beyond book donations, volunteers from PassThePages volunteers regularly lead literacy workshops and creative projects in local schools.  

“We’ve planted around 150 seedlings with the children,” Malika says. “Watching them paint their pots, tell stories, and explain how they wanted to care for their plants was incredible. You could see how proud they were of creating something that belonged to them.” 

Through these visits, Malika began to understand more deeply the relationship between opportunity, environment, and self belief. 

“I think those workshops changed me personally,” she reflects. “They made me realise how fortunate I was to grow up in an environment that encouraged me to dream freely. These children have extraordinary potential. Sometimes they just need someone to remove even one small barrier or help them realise that there is a bigger world waiting for them.” 

Lessons in empathy and Leadership

The experience also reshaped her view of leadership. 

“For me, leadership isn’t about yourself,” Malika says. “It’s about your team, what they believe, what they need, and how you support them. You’re not a leader on your own. You’re only a leader because people trust you, follow you, and believe in what you’re trying to do.” 

Some of the most powerful moments come through simple conversations with children during the workshops. 

“One student told me her biggest dream was simply to fly,” she recalls. “When I asked if she wanted to become a pilot, she didn’t know what a pilot was. I gave her a book about aviation, and suddenly she could see a future she had never been able to imagine before.” 

Moments like these have become the true measure of PassThePages’ impact. 

“These children have extraordinary potential,” Malika says. “Sometimes they just need someone to remove even one small barrier, or help them realise that there is a bigger world waiting for them beyond survival.” 

Ammar Anwar, Senior School Head, First Steps School of Arts & Sciences says: “What distinguishes Malika is not only the scale of her initiative, but the clarity of purpose and discipline with which it has been executed. She demonstrates initiative, consistency and a thoughtful understanding of the communities she serves. Her leadership reflects a genuine and sustained commitment to expanding access to education in a manner that is both practical and sustainable.” 

Malika will formally receive the Kurt Hahn Prize at the 2026 Round Square International Conference 2026 in Sydney, hosted by Barker College, where she will share the story and continuing impact of PassThePages with students and educators from across the global Round Square community. 

Highly Commended Students

This year, six other students were Highly Commended for the work they are doing within their communities:

• Nahla Mfinanga from Ashbury College in Canada
• Moksha Dhian Kochhar from Modern School, Barakhamba Road in India
• Siddharta Manaktala from Pathways World School in India
• Koustabh Gupta from Welham Boys School in India
• Sara Gupta from The Shri Ram School, Moulsari in India
• Oliver Hutton from St Andrew’s College in South Africa

Four steps Malika would give to anyone who wants to make a change

Malika’s advice to other students who want to make a change is clear. 

“No matter the logistics issues you might face, no matter the backlash—just go for it. Just try, because you’ll never know unless you try,” she says. “You could fail a thousand times. You could have people tell you that what you’re doing is stupid. People might tell you to just focus on your exams, that academics are more important.” 

But she believes that having an idea means having a responsibility to pursue it. 

“If you have an idea, you should be completely obsessed with it,” Malika says. “Nothing will stop you from achieving it if you are completely obsessed with it. You can achieve the world.” 

She links that mindset to the potential of young people. 

“As students, we have neuroplasticity—we can change our brains every single day,” she explained. “Whatever we think, whatever we do, we’re changing ourselves. That makes us superhumans.” 

Her message is simple: “You are a superhuman, just go for it.” 

1. Start before you feel ready You will never know unless you try. Don’t wait for perfect conditions before taking action. PassThePages began with a simple idea and grew gradually through persistence and experimentation.
2. Stay committed even when people doubt you. You could fail a thousand times. People could tell you what you’re doing is pointless. Just keep going. Meaningful projects often require resilience and conviction.
3. Build with others, not alone. Leadership is about your team. PassThePages succeeded because students worked together across schools and cities, sharing responsibility and believing in a common purpose.
4. Be completely invested in your idea. If you truly believe in something, be obsessed with it. Consistent effort creates impact far beyond what you initially imagined.