‘An amazing leap’ is how one winner of the Commonwealth Youth Award for Excellence in Development Work described the positive impact the prize had on the trajectory of his work. Far too many young people are impacted by the world’s multifaceted challenges, including climate change, conflict, inequity, unemployment and poverty.
For over 50 years, the Commonwealth Youth Programme (CYP) has worked to bridge this gap through projects and partnerships that accelerate youth development, amplify their concerns and empower young leaders. These awards, more popularly known as the Commonwealth Youth Awards (CYA), are one such initiative that brings this mission to life.
In this piece, we highlight some success stories of past award winners and showcase how receiving the recognition has helped scale and strengthen their work. You can also watch former CYA winners share their experience and speak about the impact their work has made during a recent YouTube broadcast.
Read more about the 2026 Commonwealth Youth Awards
CYA stories of impact and inspiration
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Stanley Anigbogu, the current Commonwealth Young Person of the Year, is from Nigeria and the co-founder of LightEd. His company converts plastic waste into solar-powered charging stations that provide clean energy to over 10,000 refugees in Africa. People use them to charge phones, lamps and small devices. In many of these areas, it is the only source of electricity available.
As a result, Stanley’s work was recently featured in the media, including the BBC, TVC News Nigeria, Vanguard News, The Guardian Nigeria, The Punch, IPS News and more. He is currently in the process of completing a project, using the funds from his award.
The 2023 CYA winner, Maya Kirti Nanan, is the founder of Autism Siblings and Friends Network. Based in Trinidad and Tobago, she started a non-profit organisation that creates opportunities for young people with special needs. Rahul's Clubhouse is an autism centre where individuals with autism can access therapy at a low or nominal cost. Over 10,000 people have been impacted by her work locally.
Sustainability and economic empowerment leader, Sagufta Janif, is the 2020 Commonwealth Youth Award winner from Fiji. With a career spanning social enterprise, private sector development, and policy advocacy, she has championed initiatives that connect sustainability with inclusive growth. Her work has created pathways for women, MSMEs, and communities to access new markets, adopt sustainable practices, and build resilience in the face of climate and economic shocks in the Pacific.
The 2020 regional winner for Canada and the Caribbean, Sowmyan Jegatheesan, founded SystemaNaturae.org, a comprehensive online information source for global wildlife projects, research and datasets. The platform, which boasts over 38,000 users, helps communities build resilience by providing a better understanding of global activities related to climate change, migration patterns, and human-wildlife conflict.
Achaleke Christian Leke, a peacebuilder born in Cameroon, is the Executive Director of Local Youth Corner Cameroon—a peacebuilding organisation serving Cameroon and the Lake Chad Basin region. After winning in 2016, he invested the prize to expand influential programmes, such as Prison-preneur, which has transformed 5,000 prisoners into entrepreneurs and peace advocates across eight prisons. His work has been featured in the media, including CNN’s African Voices Changemakers.
Recognised globally, Achaleke is an African Union Youth Ambassador for Peace (2022) and a member of Cameroon’s National Anti-Corruption Commission, earning praise for his relentless efforts to turn adversity into positive change.
The next Commonwealth Young Person of the Year
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Now, nominations are open for the 2026 Commonwealth Youth Awards. The winners will be announced during the week-long celebrations for Commonwealth Day in March 2026.
The finalists will receive a trophy, a certificate and cash grants to help them continue their development work. All finalists will be awarded a £1,000 grant. Each selected regional winner will receive an additional £2,000, bringing their total win to £3,000, and the Commonwealth Young Person of the Year will receive an additional cash grant of £2,000, bringing their total award to £5,000.
This year, a new award has been introduced to recognise outstanding young communicators whose media work highlights sustainable development initiatives in their communities. The Commonwealth Association has sponsored the Patsy Robertson Award for Outstanding Communications Skills in Promoting Community Development and Peace. The winner will receive a trophy, a certificate, and a cash grant of £1,000. The award recognises the late Patsy Robertson, a respected Commonwealth spokesperson who helped rally global support against injustice.
For more information about the Awards, to apply or nominate someone, please visit the awards portal.
Entries must be received online via the link by 23:59 GMT on 17 October 2025.
Apply for the 2026 Commonwealth Youth Awards
Media contact
- Ijeoma Onyeator, Communications Officer, Communications Division, Commonwealth Secretariat
- E-mail | Mobile: +44 07483919976
