Back in February 2020, Nickelodeon and Time announced the launch of “Kid of the Year” honor, a year-long effort that will include a TV special hosted by Trevor Noah. The award will recognize five young people judged to be making a positive impact in their communities.
Time will feature a “Kid of the year:” in both Time and Time for Kids. As part of the program, each of the honorees will be offered the chance to work as kid reporters for Time For Kids with exclusive access to Nickelodeon events throughout the year. Submissions were opened in May and ran through August 1st. Parents, teachers, friends and more, could nominate a kid aged 8-16.
Muzinda is also an honorary ambassador of the European Union to Zimbabwe for Youth, Gender, Sports and Development. In 2019, she paid tuition for 45 students to attend school in Harare, Zimbabwe's capital, and hopes to pay for at least 500 more students by the end of 2020.
Tanyaradzwa 'Tanya' Muzinda, a 16 year old Zimbabwean Motorcross athlete, a form of motorbike racing that is dangerous and requires a lot of training, announced via Twitter that she has been shortlisted for the award for her philanthropy work.
I am honoured to have made short list for @Nickelodeon Kid Of The Year 2020 with Time Magazine , even if l dont win this Award being alongside these incredible kids gives me hope for a better future .Celebrating kids around the World who are inspiring in their communities .#KOYT pic.twitter.com/rY4WGoWXfP
— Tanya Muzinda (@TanyaMuzinda) September 9, 2020
Muzinda uses donations and her Motocross prize money to support children from poorer families, especially girls who are often kept home from school.
Most of the children I paid for are girls because when parents don't have enough money to send their kids to school, they'd prefer to send the boy child, she said.
Muzinda also helps fundraise for an orphanage and organizes Christmas parties for the children living there.