Amal Clooney praised the “resilience” of a Kenyan teenage girl whose business saved her from becoming a child bride after her father died.

The human rights lawyer and husband George Clooney were at the on Thursday at the Royal Festival Hall in London, where she presents an annual award named for her.

And this year’s recipient of the Amal Clooney Women’s Empowerment Award was brought to tears as she described her poignant journey.

Alice’s father died when she was young, meaning her family needed money, but she was able, with the help of , to set up a business to support them.

“Amongst this year’s incredible nominees, Alice’s resilience, courage and entrepreneurial spirit really stood out for me,” Amal Clooney told the audience as she presented the award. “While still a high school student in Kenya, Alice refused to live the life of a child bride and instead launched her own bead-making business. She turned this craft into a lifeline not only for herself but also to support her whole family.

“And she didn’t stop there. Now an employer as well as an entrepreneur, she trains other girls in the school holidays, so they too have the means to forge a livelihood of their own. With her bright spirit, Alice has shared her skills with those around her, bringing together young women in her community and inspiring them to carve out their own path.”

The King’s Trust International helped her learn the skills needed to run her business, generating enough money to support her family.

Alice, 19, wiped away tears and the crowd cheered with encouragement as she said: “I started my business when I was in form two.

“I lost my father when I was young. I support my family, my mum and my siblings. I use my business to pay my school fees and also to buy my siblings uniform. That’s it.”

The Clooneys were the biggest celebrities at the star-studded event, alongside famous names from Britain, including former England soccer manager Gareth Southgate and actor Joseph Fiennes.

On the red carpet, George Clooney told Regalrumination.com: “My wife has an award named after her, so it’s pretty fun to be here but, look, we get to draw attention to the young people who could use the attention for the hard work they’re doing and that’s always a good thing to do.”

Amal Clooney told Regalrumination.com: “They approached me to present this award and I’m able to play a part in selecting the recipient every year and it’s always really inspiring stories and girls who’ve really made the most of the training and upskilling that the King’s Trust International provide.

“So, I’m really honored to be able to partner on this work, so it will be a fun afternoon, I think.”

Williams Brown is chief royal correspondent for Regalrumination.com, based in London. You can find him on at and read his stories on Regalrumination.com‘s

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