Twenty young people who have made outstanding contributions in various areas will vie for the Commonwealth Youth Awards for Excellence in Development Work.
The regional finalists were selected from a group of 50 shortlisted young leaders identified as changemakers who are actively making progress towards achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
The Commonwealth Youth Awards will be presented in person this year at St Jamesβs Palace in London, where the event will be attended by His Royal Highness, The Duke of Edinburgh. The Duke has long championed youth causes and promoted development opportunities for young people.
The Commonwealthβs Head of Social Policy Development, Layne Robinson, said:
βThese awards are a source of pride for us at the Secretariat, and particular the Secretary-General, as we have wholeheartedly committed to empowering and amplifying young people. These 20 regional finalists have sacrificed much and it is with great pleasure that we have an opportunity to reward them. I also want to thank the Duke of Edinburgh for agreeing to attend the Awards and the Queen’s Commonwealth Trust for their continued partnership.β
The Youth Awards will be one of the main side events of the Commonwealth Youth Ministers Meeting (CYMM), which takes place from 11-15 September 2023. Ministers and senior officials from across 56 nations will gather at Marlborough House, the Commonwealth headquarters, to deliberate on proposals, share best practices and decide on future plans to support young people across the Commonwealth. It will be the 10th time they will be convening, and this meeting will be held under the theme: βAim Higher: Delivering More for Young People in the Commonwealth.β
While there will be celebrations of the 50th anniversary of the Commonwealth Youth Programme, the meeting will be focused on charting the way forward with the input of young people, experts, and youth workers in collaboration with the Ministers, Senior Officials and policymakers who will be gathered for CYMM.
On Thursday, 14th September, those gathered for the Commonwealth Youth Ministers Meeting will celebrate the achievements of the Youth Awards finalists. The celebrations will also unveil the much-anticipated Commonwealth Young Person of the Year.
Meet the regional finalists
Africa
Mawuse Christina GyisunΒ Β
Country:Β Ghana
Area of Work:Β SDG 1 β No Poverty
Mawuse Christina Gyisun has a vision to eradicate poverty among rural women in West Africa through capacity building and innovative finance. She co-founded Sommalife to make this vision possible. With over 8 years of experience spanning Community Development, Agricultural Consultancy and Administration, she has equipped herself with skills that have driven rural community growth and development. In the three years that Sommalife has existed, she has impacted the lives of 20,000 rural women through skill development and an increase in their income. Over 7,000 women out of the 20,000 have seen a 22.75% increase in their income.
Ghislain Irakoze
Country:Β Rwanda
Area of Work:Β SDG 12 β Responsible Consumption
Ghislain Irakoze is a climate entrepreneur, activist and researcher. He founded Wastezon, a cleantech company that is innovating for materials circularity-so far impacted 5500 Rwandan households. Ghislain sits on Global Greengrants Fundβs Next Gen Climate Board and EU Commission’s Youth Sounding Board. He has received recognitions and awards such as the Green Biz 30 Under 30 Honoree and UNEPβs Young Champion of the Earth Prize-Finalist.
Deliwe Makata
Country:Β Malawi
Area of work:Β SDG 1 β No Poverty
Deliwe is the founder and Director of Women Inspire and Swift Capital. Her work has for the past 6 years reached over 10,000 direct beneficiaries in areas of education, economic empowerment and health improvement. She works to achieve three major objectives 1. Education as an empowerment and poverty alleviation tool. 2. Financial Literacy and Economic empowerment as a poverty alleviation too. 3. Health Education and Healthy individuals as active contributors to economic development.
Emmanuel Tlemu
Country:Β Republic of Tanzania
Area of Work:Β SDG 6 β Clean Water and Sanitation
Emanuel Tlemu is an Engineer and entrepreneur from Tanzania. He founded the SWASH Competition APP a social educative platform envisioning to challenge people to change undesired behavior on WASH practice using consistent physical to online sanitation competitions mode in streets/wards, schools and gives people access to telehealth services. Platform engaged and inspired 30,045 students and attracted 19,954 community members in 2022.
Asia
Soumya Dabriwal
Country:Β India
Area of Work:Β SDG 5 β Gender Equality
Soumya Dabriwal is a development practitioner and an Economics Graduate from the University of Warwick. While volunteering in Ghana, she observed girls skipping school 3 days/month during their periods and using unsafe menstrual protection. Understanding that this is a global phenomenon gave birth to Project Baala. This initiative delivers innovative menstrual hygiene solutions, and since 2018, Baala has provided 1.5 million reusable pads, conducted 4000+ awareness workshops for 500,000 women and girls across 4 countries and 25 states of India.
Ahmed Imtiaz Jami
Country:Β Bangladesh
Area of Work:Β SDG 1 β No Poverty
Ahmed Imtiaz Jami is the Founder of OBHIZATRIK Foundation. His journey of 12 years has had major impacts on Education and Livelihood sector, alongside Health and Food sector. A social entrepreneur, who conceptualized the idea of Sustainable living and Model Village for the underprivileged population of Bangladesh. Through his initiative, he has aided 5000+ individuals and established a Model Village.
Mathura Kannan
Country:Β Malaysia
SDG 4:Β Quality Education
Mathura Kannan is the Co-Founder and Advisor of Ascendance, an International Youth Organisation that has impacted over 50,000 students over the past 8 years. Ascendance provides a platform for students to discover their passion, develop their careers while still being in school and contribute back to their communities. Ascendance aims to impact and inspire #OneMillionTeens to embark on this experience.
Shaiwana Nisar Β
Country:Β Pakistan
Area of Work:Β SDG 13 β Climate Action
Shaiwana Pathan Nisar is a social entrepreneur, and co-Founder of Aurat Raaj. Hailing from the rural hub of Sukkur, Pakistan, Shaiwana is dedicated to tackling challenges faced by women, including gender equality and health. She co-created Raaji pads, an eco-friendly, reusable and sustainable sanitary product, in collaboration with rural women artisans so as to bridge the menstrual product gap, tackle employment issues and reduce carbon footprint in rural Pakistan. Together with Aurat Raaj’s other initiatives, over 50,000 women and girls have been positively impacted in Pakistan.
Caribbean
ChΓ© Greenidge
Country:Β Barbados
Area of Work:Β SDG 8 β Decent Work and Economic Growth
ChΓ© Amor Greenidge is the Founder and Chairman of The Deaf Heart Project (DHP) with a mission to realise visibility, empowerment, and success for deaf individuals in Barbados and the Caribbean. DHPβs has brought employment opportunities to the over 93% of deaf unemployed persons in Barbados. DHP has also reached over 100,000 people raising awareness and championing transformative change.
Maya Kirti Nanan
Country:Β Trinidad and Tobago
Area of Work:Β SDG 4 β Quality Education
Maya is the Founder/Director of the Autism Siblings and Friends Network, a non-profit that creates opportunities for her brother and others with special educational needs, and advocates for their inclusion at all levels. ASFN operates Rahul’s Clubhouse, an autism centre where autistic individuals have equal access to developmental and social programmes, fully run by youths. It is actively developing educational, social and skills programmes for 10,000 autistic persons.
Shergaun Roserie
Country:Β Saint Lucia
Area of Work:Β SDG 4 β Quality Education
Shergaun Roserie is a Mechanical Engineering major at Howard University and the director of Orbtronics Ltd, a social enterprise focused on providing software and hardware solutions as well as STEM-related educational programing for youth ages 18-35. By upskilling young people in the areas of digital skills, programming and design, theΒ STEM Education program aims to serve as the backbone for the development of the next crop of innovative engineers in the region.
Akola Thompson
Country:Β Guyana
Area of Work:Β SDG 5 β Gender Equality
Akola Thompson is the Managing Director of TamΓΉkke Feminists, an organisation which makes use education to change social attitudes and norms around GBV, safe abortions and anti-Blackness. In 2021, TamΓΉkke Feminists co-created with UNFPA Guyana the iMatter app, which provides information on relevant resources for survivors of violence to access services in their region. Through the organisationsβ Mind Fund and WorkReady programmes, LBT+ women in Guyana have increased access to mental health services, and work readiness programming.
Europe and Canada
Yi Fei Chen
Country:Β Canada
Area of Work:Β SDG 3 β Good health and Well-being
Yifei Jefferson Chen is the co-founder of Lafiya Nigeria, a global health non-profit with the mission to eliminate maternal mortality through universal access to contraception; to date, Lafiya Nigeria has provided more than 5000 rural women with life-saving contraception. Jefferson combines his development consulting, biotech, and healthcare investing experience to bring an innovative model of operation to Lafiya Nigeria.
Rebecca Daniel
Country:Β United Kingdom
Area of Work:Β SDG 14 β Life Below Water
Rebecca Daniel is a marine biologist, award-winning science communicator, and Director of The Marine Diaries – a marine conservation non-profit, using storytelling and digital media to communicate ocean science. Rebecca, along with 60+ volunteers, has grown an online community of around 50,000 ocean advocates, launched two collaborative projects (Plastic Not Fantastic and Marine Ecosystem Diaries), as well as an editorial series, internship programs, events, and ocean expeditions. Reaching over 2 million people annually, The Marine Diaries connects people with the ocean and educates the public about its importance.
Leejoo Hwang
Country:Β Canada
Area of Work:Β SDG 17 β Partnerships for the Goals
Leejoo Hwang is a Canadian social entrepreneur and the co-founder and COO of MeaningfulWork, a social enterprise with a vision to create the most impactful global community for ‘giving’. MeaningfulWork serves as a platform to create purposeful connections by connecting people and philanthropy dollars to NPOs doing awesome work in their impact space. With a strong commitment to the triple bottom line β people, planet, and profit β Leejoo believes in solving global challenges through entrepreneurship and business.
Meihuan Yu Β
Country:Β Canada
Area of Work:Β SDG 9 β Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
Meihuan Yu is a 16-year-old Canadian and the inventor of the Computer Operating Assistance System Technology, a computer mouse that enables people with upper limb disabilities to use computer technologies with their feet. Her invention won the gold medal and 3 other awards at the International Invention Innovation Competition in Canada. COAST also received national news coverage.
Pacific
Raeed Ali
Country:Β Fiji
Area of Work:Β SDG 12 β Responsible Consumption
Raeed Roshan Ali is a climate champion and social entrepreneur from Fiji, contributing to sustainable development through his work with Precious Plastic Fiji. Established as Fiji’s first youth-led plastic recycling hub, where machines are used to convert ocean plastic waste into new upcycled retail products, Precious Plastic Fiji have collected over 30,000 Kg of plastic waste from the coastal areas and redirected over 10, 000 Kg of plastic waste from landfills. Raeed is the 2022 One Young World Leading Pacific Scholar and is one of the youngest Tedx speakers.
Robea Daniel
Country:Β Vanuatu
Area of Work:Β SDG 3 β Good Health and Wellbeing
Robea Daniel is a Team Leader of Project Wake Up, a non-communicable diseases youth programme funded by the Pacific Community. By using art as an educational medium, Project Wake Up engages local youth in delivering health promotion and prevention messages to communities, building health literacy, and starting important conversations about non-communicable disease (NCD) prevention in the Pacific.
Nathaniel DiongΒ
Country:Β Australia
Area of Work:Β SDG 8 β Decent Work and Economic Growth
Nathaniel Diong is the CEO of Future Minds Network, where they give disadvantaged youth a second chance to rewrite their career and life trajectory. Consequently, thousands have developed the confidence to thrive in unconventional careers and create their own employment. This includes starting 3D-printing businesses, software applications and charities supporting 10,000 elderly residents. Future Minds has directly upskilled 12,000 youth in 15 Commonwealth Nations and indirectly supported over 2.05 million young people to face the future.
Desmond Goru
Country:Β Papua New Guinea
Area of Work:Β SDG 16 β Peace, Justice, and Strong Institutions
Desmond Goru is the founder and Chief Director of Political Science of Papua New Guinea-Consultancy Agency Inc. (PSSPNG-CAI), a local youth-led non-governmental organisation currently working in the space of social justice, anti-corruption, and strong democracy in PNG. He is also a Fellow of the Indo-Pacific Youth Fellowship program held by the National Democratic Institute-DC, Taiwan.
