Four
outstanding young people were honoured at the 2015
Commonwealth Youth Awards for Excellence in Development Work, in
recognition of their efforts to promote youth empowerment, education and
entrepreneurship, the environment, and gender equality.
The
awards celebrate young people aged 29 or under from Commonwealth
countries in Africa, Asia, the Pacific, and the Caribbean and Americas
whose work has had a significant impact on people and communities in
their country or region.
The
winner of the overall pan-Commonwealth Youth Award 2015 is Mr Julius
Shirima from Tanzania, aged 25, who founded a microventure capital fund
and entrepreneur network that helps young businesspeople turn
enterprising concepts into profitable ventures. As a result of his
efforts, thousands of young people in Tanzania are today empowered,
generating income and enjoying meaningful work.
At
the prize giving ceremony in London, United Kingdom, Mr Shirima was
also announced as the recipient of the Africa Region Commonwealth Youth
Award.
Ms
Gulalai Ismael from Pakistan was named Asia Region Commonwealth Youth
Award winner and Ms Nolana Lynch from Trinidad and Tobago was announced
Caribbean & Americas Commonwealth Youth Award winner.
Ms
Brianna Frueann from Samoa, was named Pacific Region Commonwealth Youth
Award winner. At the age of 16, Ms Frueann is the youngest ever
recipient of a Commonwealth Youth Award.
Mr
Shirima commented: “Winning the pan-Commonwealth Youth Award confirms
to me and my team that we should continue with the work we are doing
because it is having a positive impact on young people’s lives. I feel
really humbled to receive this prize. The outlook of the other finalists
has also taught me a lot. All of the young people here are united by
the drive to improve our communities.”
The
pan-Commonwealth Youth Award includes a cash prize of £5,000 for Mr
Shirima, and £3,000 each for the other regional winners, to reinvest in
their development work.
Kamalesh
Sharma, Commonwealth Secretary-General, who presented the awards, said:
“The Commonwealth Youth Awards recognise and celebrate the efforts of
these outstanding young people, and demonstrate to leaders and other
policy makers the value and importance of young people’s role in
national development. Importantly, the awards also serve to inspire
other young people to take action in their communities. We are
delighted, once again, to have such very worthy winners.”
Mr
Sharma congratulated each of the regional award winners and the 12
other shortlisted finalists. “You have distinguished yourselves in your
work, from poverty alleviation and human rights to peace-building. You
showcase what is possible. You are catalysts and beacons and we regard
you as partners and allies in the work of the Commonwealth,” he added.
The
awards were also presented by Commonwealth Deputy Secretaries-General
Deodat Maharaj and Josephine Ojiambo, Commonwealth Secretariat Youth
Affairs Director Katherine Ellis, as well as HE Nkwelle Ekaney, High
Commissioner for Cameroon and HE Dr Ernest Hilaire, High Commissioner
for Saint Lucia.
The
winners were selected by regional adjudication panels made up of youth
leaders, Youth Ministry officials, youth workers and staff of the
Commonwealth Secretariat’s Youth Division.
Commonwealth Youth Awards 2015 – Regional Winners:
AFRICA
Mr Julius Shirima (Tanzania, age 25) founded
Darecha
,
a youth entrepreneurship organisation and micro-venture company, while
still in high school. Darecha, which has a network of approximately
5,000 young people, enables young Tanzanian entrepreneurs to transform
their business ideas into profitable ventures which provide employment
to other young people. His business model has also been adopted in other
countries.
Mr
Shirima said: “I am so honoured to receive this award on behalf of
young people from Africa who are working extremely hard, day and night,
to better the lives of people living in their communities. I would like
to dedicate this award to these young people, because each day we see
ourselves moving this continent forward. Whenever there is collaboration
among young people there is a higher chance of bringing about positive
development. Now I will think about all the possible ways to expand our
work to other countries in the region.”
ASIA
Ms Gulalai Ismael (Pakistan, age 28) at 16, established
Aware Girls
to provide young women with a platform for learning and advocacy. She
led a team of 100 young female monitors of the 2013 Pakistan general
elections, which examined the challenges to women’s electoral
participation. Gulalai was named one of Foreign Policy Magazine’s Global
Thinkers in 2013, and was the recipient of the 2014 International
Humanist Award.
Ms
Ismael said: “Winning this award today is not just about my
recognition, it is about giving recognition to all girls who are living
in extremely difficult conditions and taking risks to make the world a
better place. When I started out 12 years ago I never imagined that I
would be able to achieve that much. We were young and inexperienced and
had little support. This recognition shows that girls have the power to
change the world. Girls aren’t just victims of abuse or violence, they
are actually powerful actors. They represent not the future, but the
present.”
CARIBBEAN
Ms Nolana Lynch (Trinidad and Tobago, age 27) created the eco-friendly, all-natural skin and hair care line
Eco-Truffles
,
which uses sustainable raw materials from rural women producers
throughout the Caribbean. She has also spearheaded sustainable
agriculture projects in several Caribbean countries. Nolana served as
the National Coordinator of the Caribbean Youth Environment Network, and
was awarded the Trinidad and Tobago National Youth Award in 2013.
Ms
Lynch said: “I would like to thank the Commonwealth Secretariat for
this auspicious award. I would like to dedicate this award to all the
underprivileged women, children and families out there who are my
motivation and my inspiration. They are the reason I wake up every
morning - they encourage me to create and continue to work on poverty
reduction.”
PACIFIC
Ms Brianna Frueann (Samoa, age 16) at 11 founded ‘
Small Voices
’,
an environmental NGO that carries out climate change and
environment-related projects. She is also a leader of ‘Future Rush’, an
environmental group that mobilises young people to run sustainable
development projects in their communities. Brianna received a Young
Environmental Activist Award from the Samoan government in 2013, and is
also a member of the Pacific Youth Environment Network.
Ms
Frueann said: “I would like to acknowledge the Commonwealth Secretariat
for recognising the important role of youth and young people. I would
like to dedicate this award to the climate refugees - the people in
Pacific islands and other small island nations who suffer from the
effects of climate change every day - and to my fellow Pacific warriors
fighting for climate justice. We are not done, we are fighting.”