Shifra Ainomugisha from Uganda has been announced as the 2026 Commonwealth Young Person of the Year at the 2026 Commonwealth Youth Awards ceremony in London on 25 June.
Government representatives, high commissioners, youth leaders, and other stakeholders attended the award ceremony to celebrate young people's contributions to sustainable development goals in communities across the Commonwealth.
Shifra, founder and CEO of Solafam, an agri-tech social enterprise, was recognised for her climate-smart, AI-driven projects that deliver solar-powered cold storage and irrigation, improving farm productivity and reducing food loss and hunger in communities across Uganda.
Her work is inspired by growing up in a tomato-farming family in Uganda, where she witnessed poor harvests and crops perishing because of inadequate storage and limited market access. Her experience of living in a patriarchal environment, where hard work is often perceived to be associated more with men than women, also motivated her to become an entrepreneur.
Since 2022, Solfam has reached more than 1,500 smallholder farmers – 70 per cent of whom are women – cutting post-harvest losses by 30 per cent and increasing household incomes by 28 per cent, thereby building economic and climate resilience for women and youth in Uganda.
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The Commonwealth Secretary-General, Hon Shirley Botchwey, presented the award to Shifra.
In her remarks, the Secretary-General said:
“My congratulations to you all finalists. You are already winners. To be selected from across 56 nations is a testament to your courage and your creativity. You embody the very best of our family. You have shown resilience in the face of challenge and innovation in the face of constraint.”
She continued:
“Today is not about recognition alone — it is about momentum. It is not about isolated excellence — it is about collective advancement. Together, we will continue to strengthen the Commonwealth Youth Programme as a flagship vehicle for youth development in the Commonwealth.”
It was a double victory for Shifra Ainomugisha, who also received the top regional award for Africa, earning her a total prize of £5,000.
Overcome with emotion as she accepted the award, she stated:
“I am honoured to be named the 2026 Commonwealth Young Person of the Year. This recognition is not only personal but also represents the farmers and communities in Uganda whom we serve. It also affirms that solutions built from lived experience can create real impact. I cannot wait to continue this journey with the support of the Commonwealth and its remarkable network of partners.”
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The Youth Awards support young changemakers aged 15–29 by scaling up their innovation. Since their inception, these awards have invested over £400,000 directly into grassroots youth-led enterprises. The investments have reached more than 12 million beneficiaries, generated over 4,250 jobs, and contributed to all 17 SDGs. Crucially, 40 per cent of the funding has supported women-led initiatives—reinforcing the Commonwealth’s mandate for gender equality and inclusive growth.
Regional winners
It was also a significant victory for four other regional winners, each of whom will receive a total of £3,000.
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- Asia: Bushra Mahnoor from Pakistan received the Asia Regional Award for her work on promoting affordable sanitary hygiene for women and adolescents.
- Caribbean: Moesha Allen from Jamaica received the Caribbean Regional Award for work which addresses school violence in vulnerable Jamaican communities.
- Europe and Canada: Justin Huang from Canada received the Europe and Canada Award for developing a youth-led ocean conservation initiative that uses AI and open-source satellite imagery to monitor marine plastics and water pollution in near real time.
- Pacific: Aileen Zuhukepe from Papua New Guinea received the Pacific Regional Award for her work on improving early detection of breast cancer among rural women in Papua New Guinea.
The ceremony was streamed live on Facebook. Breaking new ground this year, the Commonwealth Association, a Commonwealth Accredited Organisation, sponsored the inaugural Patsy Robertson Award for Outstanding Communications Skills. The new category was created to honour the legacy of the late Patsy Robertson, a former Director of Communications at the Commonwealth Secretariat.
Maria Maina from Kenya clinched the Patsy Robertson Award for her work in advancing gender equality through Social Justice Insights, a digital platform using research, advocacy and storytelling to educate young people on gender-based violence, femicide and women’s rights.
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Maria received a cash prize of £1,000, a certificate and a trophy while five other candidates were recognised as finalists.
Each finalist in this category will also receive a complimentary membership in the Commonwealth Journalists Association, granting them access to a global network of journalists and a range of professional development opportunities.
The finalists listed in alphabetical order and by region are:
- Fawaz Adebisi (Nigeria)
- Felicity Akwa (Nigeria)
- Maddy Nicholl (United Kingdom)
- Sawyedul Amin (Bangladesh)
- Tina Afiqah (Brunei Darussalam)
Congratulating the finalists, Max Gaylard, Chair of the Commonwealth Association, said:
“We honour Patsy Robertson by rewarding young people and by highlighting the important work of communications professionals”. We are proud to partner with the Commonwealth Secretariat to recognise these outstanding communicators and to showcase the work of the next generation of leaders in this important area.”
From over 970 submissions, 20 finalists were narrowed to five regional winners by a pan-Commonwealth adjudication panel. Each of the 20 finalists will receive a trophy, a certificate and £1,000 to support their work.
The Commonwealth Youth Awards for Excellence in Development Work is an initiative of the Commonwealth Youth Programme, which has been supporting youth development work in member countries for over 50 years.
See photos from the ceremony on Flickr
