GUYANA has once again received international acclaim after youth leader, Tricia Teekah copped the Commonwealth Youth Award for Excellence in Development Work for the Caribbean and Americas region.
Tricia was honoured on Wednesday at a celebration ceremony at Marlborough House, the Commonwealth’s headquarters in London. She received the award for her contribution to the advancement of Sustainable Development Goal number 16: Peace, Justice and Strong Institutions.

Presenting her with the award was Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, Baroness Patricia Scotland, who is also from the Caribbean. Other regional finalists included; Tamira Browne of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Michelle Thomas of Jamaica and Ishita Aggarwal of Canada.

After learning she had won the award, the youth leader said that she hopes it inspires young people, not only in Guyana and the Caribbean region, but across the Commonwealth, to be bold and to take ownership of the future of their communities and the world at large.

The Commonwealth Youth Awards for Excellence in Development Work celebrate young people from Asia, the Pacific, the Caribbean and Americas, Africa and Europe who have had a significant impact on people and communities in their country or region.

The awards, presented to Commonwealth citizens aged 15–29, showcase the work of outstanding young people who are leading initiatives ranging from poverty alleviation to peace building, promoting and enhancing democracy and development.
A co-founder of the Guyana National Youth Council (GNYC), Tricia, led the ‘Vote Like a Boss’ campaign, a youth voter education initiative, which used private sector partnerships to educate young voters in the 2015 General and Regional elections.

According to her, the campaign reached more than 16,000 youths within a month and more than 1,300 young people participated in an online geo-mapping exercise on issues of concern to voters.

She also pioneered the formation of a core committee for the establishment of a National Students’ Movement in Guyana and lobbied for student bodies in secondary and post-secondary educational institutions.

Commenting on the ‘Vote Like A Boss’ campaign, the youth leader said that it helped to change the perception that young people are not interested in the political affairs of Guyana. She explained that the campaign sought to educate young people about the voting process, the importance of voting and to teach them about the electoral process in Guyana.

Asked what some of the measured outcomes of the campaign were, Tricia boasted that there is a realisation that young people are willing to engage elected leaders and hold them accountable to their commitments.

“The impact from these campaigns has been phenomenal. We have realised that there is now a willingness for people to engage their elected leaders and hold them accountable to their commitments,” she said.
She shared too that GNYC would have met with seniors who voted for the first time that year because of the campaign which shifted voting patterns.

“…they were able to vote based on issues and commitments as opposed to social or cultural sentiments.”

She also pointed out that her receipt of the award for a project crafted on the principles of democracy, human rights, youth political participation and engagement, is a reflection and commitment of the Commonwealth Secretariat to Article 13 of the Charter of the Commonwealth.

“It promulgates the rewards and fruits of teamwork, partnership and private sector collaboration in light of the tremendous success of the project,” she said, adding that the award will increase awareness of the relatively new, youth-led group and GNYC.

“It will be leverage to further engage all stakeholders to strengthen partnerships and collaboration.”

Other recipients of regional awards were; Krystle Reid from Sri Lanka, who won the Commonwealth Young Person of the Year and Commonwealth Asia Young Person of the Year Awards; Jacqueline Joseph of Papua New Guinea, who won the Commonwealth Pacific Young Person of the Year Award; and Charles Lipenga of Malawi, who copped the Commonwealth Africa Young Person of the Year Award.

The Secretary-General in her remarks noted that throughout the Commonwealth, young people, like those who won the awards, are taking action as pioneers and change-makers. She said that their contributions are essential to achieving national and global development goals, from halting the human impacts of climate change to countering poverty and discrimination.

This year’s winners were drawn from a shortlist of 17 finalists from 13 countries: Australia, Bangladesh, Canada, Guyana, Jamaica, Malawi, Nigeria, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Sri Lanka, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Uganda and United Kingdom.