MAYA Kirti Nanan of Trinidad and Tobago, the founder of the Autism Siblings and Friends Network (ASFN), has been selected the Commonwealth Young Person of the Year for 2023. She is also awarded the Caribbean’s top prize.

Commonly known as the Commonwealth Youth Awards, they recognise the contribution that young people aged 15–29 make towards strengthening democracy and achieving the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). The awards ceremony took place in the margins of the just-concluded Commonwealth Youth Ministers Meeting.

Government ministers, senior Government officials, youth leaders and other stakeholders attended the awards as a part of the week-long ministerial meeting.

Nanan received the award from His Royal Highness, The Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Edward, and the Commonwealth Secretary General Patricia Scotland at the Commonwealth Youth Awards for Excellence in Development Work, held on Thursday, at St James’s Palace in London.

ASFN, based in Trinidad and Tobago, is a non-profit organisation that creates opportunities for those with special needs. It operates Rahul’s Clubhouse, an autism centre where people with autism can have equal access to developmental and social programmes.

The organisation is actively developing educational, social and skills programmes for more than 10,000 autistic persons.

The glittering awards ceremony was also used to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Commonwealth Youth Programme. The awards are one of the ways in which the Commonwealth Secretariat works to empower, engage and encourage as well as amplify the voices and work of youth across the 56 member states.

A total of 50 outstanding young people were highlighted for their work this year. Those shortlisted include social entrepreneurs, environmental champions, innovators, and human rights activists, from across the Commonwealth.

Twenty of those were chosen as finalists, with the field then narrowed to five regional winners. Each of the 20 finalists will receive a trophy, a certificate and £1,000 as their prize. Each of the regional winners will receive an additional £2,000.

Scotland congratulated all 50 of the awardees for the impact they are making in a world that often sees young people as challenges instead of agents of change.

“These awards are one of the most inspiring and delightful parts of our work in the secretariat, and my work as secretary general. As is reflected in our ministers’ and high commissioners’ presence here today, they love these awards. But they are not simply just a feel-good moment — these awards resound; and they are extremely important.

“They recognise and dignify the valuable contribution thousands of young people across the Commonwealth make to human development, embodied in the outstanding efforts of our winners and the winners here today,” said Scotland.

Just under 1,000 entries, from 39 Commonwealth countries, were received this year. Following a rigorous judging process, those shortlisted were selected across each of the award’s five regional categories: Africa, Asia, the Caribbean, Europe and Canada, and the Pacific. The panel of judges included high commissioners, development experts and youth leaders from across the Commonwealth.

The 2024 Awards will be held in March next year to return to the usual event cycle.

The other four other regional winners for 2023 were:

Mawuse Christina Gyisun — Africa

Soumya Dabriwal — Asia

Yi Fei Chen — Europe & Canada

Raeed Ali — Pacific