25 June 2026
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 Uganda Limited, 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, Solafam 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.
The Commonwealth
Secretary-General, Hon Shirley Botchwey, presented the award
to Shifra.
In her remarks, the Secretary-General
said:
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“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.”
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.
- 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 YouTube and 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.
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.
Notes:
- The
Commonwealth is a voluntary association of 56 independent
and equal sovereign states. Our combined population is 2.7
billion, of which more than 60 per cent is aged 30 or
under. - The Commonwealth spans the globe and includes
both advanced economies and developing countries.
Thirty-three of our members are small states, many of which
are island nations. - The Commonwealth Secretariat
supports member countries to build democratic and inclusive
institutions, strengthen governance and promote justice and
human rights. Our work helps to grow economies and boost
trade, deliver national resilience, empower young people,
and address threats such as climate change, debt and
inequality. - Member countries are supported by a
network of more than 80 intergovernmental, civil society,
cultural and professional
organisations.
