Dr Paul Charles Wins BrandLaureate Leadership Award
The honour recognises his work in educational transformation and youth empowerment, conferred by the World Brands Foundation in Kuala Lumpur.
Updated on Nov. 3, 2026 in Scholarships
Dr Paul Charles, an author, psychologist and founder of the Resilient Learning Foundation, received the BrandLaureate BrandLeadership Award 2026 in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The World Brands Foundation conferred the award for leadership in educational transformation and youth empowerment.
Why it matters
The award recognises individuals whose leadership, vision and influence have made meaningful contributions in their fields. It places attention on education-focused youth empowerment work, a field in which scholarships and learning access are central concerns.
Charles attended 13 schools across 12 years, according to his autobiographical account The Wheelbarrow Kid. The award was presented at the BrandLaureate Awards in Kuala Lumpur, with the exact ceremony date not specified in the source.
The players
Dr Paul Charles
Dr Paul Charles is a South African author and psychologist known for his autobiographical work The Wheelbarrow Kid, and the founder of the Resilient Learning Foundation.
Resilient Learning Foundation
The Resilient Learning Foundation is an organisation founded by Dr Paul Charles that works in education and youth empowerment.
World Brands Foundation
The World Brands Foundation is the body that conferred the BrandLaureate awards, recognising leadership across industries.
The details
Charles, who repaired shoes at a bus rank after completing matric, was honoured for his work through the Resilient Learning Foundation, where Padmini Naidoo serves as executive director. He recounts his childhood journey in the autobiographical work The Wheelbarrow Kid.
Timeline
Recently, prior to publication: BrandLaureate Awards held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Season Trajectory
The BrandLaureate Awards, run by the World Brands Foundation, recognise leadership across sectors each year in Kuala Lumpur. Charles's recognition extends that programme into education and youth empowerment, a field where individual founders often shape access to scholarships and learning pathways.
Readers focused on education and youth development can follow programmes like the Resilient Learning Foundation's work as a model for building resilience in learners. The story does not describe specific new scholarships or application openings for readers.
The takeaway
Sustained personal resilience and access to education can shape long careers in leadership. Readers working in youth development may find the Resilient Learning Foundation's approach worth studying.
Further reading
Explore more on Scholarships to see how education leaders are expanding access for young learners.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Rising Sun Newspapers.
