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Two Sierra Leonean youths, Haja Isatu Bah and Foday David Kamara have been shortlisted among Fifty outstanding young people for the 2023 Commonwealth Youth Awards for Excellence in Development Work, in recognition of their extraordinary achievements and contributions to their communities.
Twenty of those shortlisted will be selected as finalists, and the overall winners will attend the awards ceremony, which in recognition of the 50th anniversary of the Commonwealth Youth Programme, will this year be held in London on Thursday, 14 September 2023.
Those shortlisted include social entrepreneurs, environmental champions, innovators, and human rights activists, from across the Commonwealth. The young people, aged between 15 to 29, are all involved in initiatives that make tangible contributions to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals.
Foday David Kamara, a Sierra Leonean social entrepreneur and the founder of Ecovironment was shortlisted for his social enterprise which utilises indigenous recycling innovation through recycling municipal plastic waste in eco-bricks and paving tiles in Makeni City. Through this project, 600 tonnes of plastic waste were recycled, preventing over 1.5 tons of plastic carbon emission into the atmosphere. 100 jobs have been created, 100 000+ people have been reached and environmental rights awareness have been transferred to 40+ communities who have been trained in environmental conservation and waste management.
Foday David Kamara
On the other hand, Haja Isatu Bah, a Sierra Leonean feminist, and environmentalist, was shortlisted for her social enterprise, Uman4Uman which produces and sells reusable sanitary pads for girls and women. Uman4Uman is focused on the creation of reusable, affordable, and accessible sanitary products, providing a cheaper, eco-friendlier, more comfortable, and healthier option to the market. Since its inception, Uman4Uman has assisted 5000+ girls and woman and the initiative have a functioning menstrual hygiene club with over 100 members.
Haja Isatu Bah
In congratulating the finalists, the Commonwealth Secretary-General, the Rt Hon Patricia Scotland KC, said:
“Each year, I am always amazed by the innovative and transformative work these young people are undertaking to create a better world for us all. I am particularly proud that 50 young leaders are being honoured in this Commonwealth Year of the Youth. I have always been of the view that development should be youth-led. Those who have been shortlisted prove that young people are not just passive bystanders, waiting to see what the future will bring. Instead, they are actively shaping it.
“I congratulate all the finalists and applaud them for the exceptional contribution that they are making in their communities. I look forward to meeting the 20 finalists in London this September.”
After two virtual ceremonies due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the awards will be presented in person this year as one of the milestone activities of the Commonwealth Youth Ministerial Meeting, which takes place from 11-15 September 2023.
Each of the 20 finalists will receive a trophy, certificate and £1,000 to expand the impact of their work. The top finalist from each region will be recognised as the regional winner and will receive £3,000. One of the five regional winners will become the Commonwealth Young Person of the Year 2023 and will be awarded £5,000.
In continuation of the Commonwealth Secretariat’s partnership with the Queen’s Commonwealth Trust (QCT), an additional prize of £20,000 in funding will be awarded to one project, delivered over the course of two years. The selected winner will also be announced at the official awards ceremony. They will be enrolled into QCT’s Platinum Jubilee Fund programme and given access to coaching and development opportunities to help their project flourish.
