International advocacy organization, Global Citizen, has announced the winners of the Global Citizen Prize: Citizen Award 2022 and Cisco Youth Leadership Award. These remarkable changemakers are recognized for their efforts in shaping the world and the sustained impact they have created towards their pivotal work of fighting for social justice.
This year’s awardees include: Anuscheh Amir-Khalili, Activist & Social Entrepreneur, Flamingo e.V. (Germany); Barbie Izquierdo, Activist, Consultant, & Community Empowerment Manager, Hunger Free America (USA); Brianna Fruean, Climate Activist, Pacific Climate Warriors (Samoa), Khanyisile Motsa, Founder & Director, Berea-Hillbrow Home of Hope (South Africa); Mitzy Violeta Cortés Guzmán, Defender of the Earth, Futuros Indígenas Network (Mexico); Payzee Mahmod, Child Marriage Survivor & Campaigner, IKWRO – Women’s Rights Organisation (United Kingdom); Yemi Adamolekun, Executive Director, Enough is Enough (EiE), (Nigeria).
This year’s Global Citizen Prize 2022 were recognized across three categories: Defend the Planet, Defeat Poverty, and Demand Equity, with a focus on climate change, empowering adolescent girls, and breaking down systemic poverty barriers. With 2-3 changemaker awardees per category, the winners will receive a year-long programme of support from Global Citizen, together with a donation to their organization. Proud partners of the Global Citizen Prize 2022 include Cisco, Citi and P&G.
Read also: Youth unemployment and the coming anarchy in Nigeria and South Africa
The Global Citizen Prize: Cisco Youth Leadership Award was established by Cisco and Global Citizen, to celebrate an individual aged 18-30 who has contributed meaningfully towards the goal of ending extreme poverty in their community, through their leadership, dedication, and innovation. The prize winner will receive a substantial donation to their organization to enable its continued growth.
This year’s Cisco Youth Leadership Award winner is Nidhi Pant from India. Nidhi is a chemical engineer and co-founder of S4S Technologies, a farm-gate food processing platform that converts farm losses into value-added products through the intervention of sustainable solar-powered technology. The organization increases family incomes and empowers women to be climate champions and decision-makers by transforming women farmers into micro-entrepreneurs through access to app-enabled market linkage, solar technology, bancarization, and financing, a statement from the organisation said. It said S4S Technologies works with over 24,000 farmers and 800 female entrepreneurs to prevent 40,000 tons of produce from being wasted and saves 37,000 tons of CO2 annually.
“Addressing the world’s most pressing issues will require the innovative, passionate efforts of young entrepreneurs like Nidhi, leading the next generation of global leaders who will help usher in a more inclusive, sustainable future,” said Fran Katsoudas, EVP and Chief People, Policy & Purpose Officer of Cisco.
Liza Henshaw, President of Global Citizen said: “Global Citizen is honored to recognize these remarkable changemakers who have the vision, foresight and persistence to make meaningful strides towards building a better future through their pivotal work. Given the urgent need for innovative solutions to deal with the challenges of defending the planet, defeating poverty, and demanding equity, we need individuals like our awardees who are ready to take immediate action.”
The celebrated winners will be honored at a prestigious intimate private dinner event, taking place on Sunday, May 22, in New York’s iconic Gotham Hall.
