African Impact Awards Night: Ett pris till våra ungdomar och till framtiden vi bygger tillsammans
I lördags, under de gyllene ljusen i en vackert dekorerad sal där diplomater, ambassadörer, kulturpersonligheter och representanter från civilsamhället hade samlats, fick Yennenga Progress ta emot ett pris som betyder mer än ord kan beskriva.
African Impact Awards Night är en kväll som hyllar personer och organisationer från den afrikanska kontinenten, eller med rötter där, som gör betydande insatser för kultur, samhällsutveckling och mänsklig blomstring. Det är en scen där framtidens berättelser lyfts fram av dem som formar den.
Vi fick inte bara ta del av en fantastisk kväll utan överraskades med priset för vårt arbete med och för ungdomar i Burkina Faso vilket var både hedrande och djupt rörande.
En hyllning till ungdomarna och deras framtid
Priset vi mottog handlar inte om oss. Det handlar om organisationens ledare och de unga människor i Nakamtenga som varje dag kliver in i klassrummen, på farmen, i rättighetsklubben, på kliniken eller i textilverkstaden och bygger en annan framtid med sina händer, sina idéer och sin envishet. Det handlar om deras vilja att skapa fredliga samhällen, hållbara liv och möjligheter inte bara för sig själva utan för kommande generationer.
En kväll av stolthet och ansvar
Yennengas generalsekreterare Stina, fick delta i ceremonin tillsammans med Barebe från Yennengas kommunikationsteam. Vi var inbjudna av arrangören Raicha. När programmet startade klockan 17:00, enligt protokollet som diplomatiska sammanhang kräver, fylldes salen av berättelser om motståndskraft, kultur, ledarskap och visioner. Det var en kväll där den afrikanska diasporans kraft, kreativitet och globala betydelse stod i centrum.
Att se Yennenga Progress omnämnas i detta sammanhang mitt bland internationella gäster och samhällsbärare blev en stark påminnelse om att långsiktigt, lokalt förankrat arbete spelar roll långt utanför bygränserna.
“Nous sommes fiers de nous-mêmes”
I våra skolor i Nakamtenga ropar eleverna: “Nous sommes fiers de nous-mêmes – nous allons venir à l’école!” Ett löfte om att tro på sin egen kraft. Denna kväll kändes det som att världen svarade: “Vi är stolta över er också.”
När ungdomar får verktyg skapar de fredliga och hållbara samhällen
Det arbete vi gör med utbildning, hälsa, rättigheter, regenerativt jordbruk, kultur och entreprenörskap, syftar till att ge ungdomar möjligheten att växa i trygghet och framtidstro.
Ungdomar som känner sig sedda och får chans att utveckla sina talanger är inte bara framtidens ledare de är redan dagens fredsskapare.
Global betydelse: en modell att sprida
Den modell vi bygger i Nakamtenga är inte bara lokal. Den är skalbar. Den visar att:
• hållbarhet börjar med människor
• fred börjar i skolan
• blomstring börjar när unga blir delaktiga
• utveckling blir hållbar när den växer organiskt inifrån
Och detta angår alla: i Sverige, i Europa, på den afrikanska kontinenten och bortom.
Tack
Tack till African Impact Awards för att ni lyfter personer och organisationer som gör något extra, som står för innovation, skapande och som arbetar för en fredlig och hållbar framtid. Tack till Raicha för inbjudan och värme. Tack till Barebe för fint samarbete och ett strålande representantskap. Och framför allt: tack till ungdomarna i Nakamtenga: priset är ert.
När vi alla över kontinenter och generationer lyfter varandra, då bygger vi den framtid där alla kan blomstra.
1. Category: Most Outstanding Country - Sustainable Agriculture & Food Security Criteria: Recognizes groundbreaking work in transforming the agricultural sector. For policies and initiatives that have significantly increased food sovereignty, reduced malnutrition, and promoted climate-resilient farming.
And the winner is ETHIOPIA
2. Category: Most Outstanding Country - Economic Transformation & Inclusive Growth Criteria: Celebrates a nation that has demonstrated remarkable and sustainable economic growth, measured by factors like GDP growth, foreign direct investment, and diversification beyond raw materials. Special emphasis is placed on how this growth has reduced poverty, created jobs, and been inclusive across different regions and demographics.
And the winner is BOTSWANA
3. Category: Most Outstanding Digital Solution Criteria: Honors a visionary who has developed or implemented a transformative technological solution to a pressing African challenge. This could be in fintech, healthtech, edtech, or cleantech. The key criteria are scalability, real-world impact, and the potential to leapfrog traditional infrastructure limitations.
The winner is YASAAR BILADAMA EGGSPLAIN
4. Category: Most Outstanding Business Leader Criteria: Awards an individual who has demonstrated strategic vision and sustained organizational success over time, pursuing new markets, products, and strategic partnerships, strategical positioned his/her organisation into becoming a major industry player
The winner is Surafel Worku (Regional Manager for Nordic and Baltic countries-Ethiopian Airlines)
5. Category: Most Outstanding Country Infrastructure Development Criteria: Recognizes a nation that has successfully executed major infrastructure projects that have dramatically improved connectivity and economic productivity. This includes transport (roads, rails, ports), energy (renewable energy grids), and digital infrastructure (broadband penetration), with a focus on sustainability and quality. The nominees are Namibia, Morocco, Mauritius, Tanzania, and Kenya .
The winners are NAMIBIA & MOROCCO
6. Category: Most Outstanding Fintech Solution Criteria: This award honours Fintech solutions that are effective in solving unique customer problems, have the potential to redefine standards, and excellent user experience.
The winners are OKAPI FINANCE (GISELE MWEPU) FLUUS (YASAAR BILADAMA)
7. Category: Most Outstanding Country In Educational Empowerment & Literacy Advancement Criteria: Honors those who have made a tangible impact on education. For an individual, this could be a teacher, an edtech founder, or an advocate for girls' education. For a country, it is for achieving significant gains in literacy rates, school enrollment (especially for girls), and the quality of its national education system.
For country, the winner is TUNISIA
8. Category: Most Outstanding Innovation In Educational For Individuals;
The winner is FELIX UNOGWU (REDI SCHOOL OF DIGITAL INTEGRATION Malmö)
9. Category: Most Outstanding Country Public Health & Well-being Criteria: Awards exceptional contributions to improving health outcomes. This could be a doctor, a public health researcher, or a community health organizer. For a country, it is for effective public health policies that have increased life expectancy, reduced maternal/child mortality, or successfully managed a health crisis.
And the winner is Tunisia
10. Category: Most Outstanding Innovation In Health-Care
The winner is Dalwende Birba, founder, SuiviVital
11. Category: Most Outstanding Environmental Stewardship & Climate Action Criteria: The award recognizes outstanding commitment to protecting the environment and combating climate change. This includes forest conservation, wildlife protection, large-scale adoption of renewable energy, pioneering circular economy models, or implementing effective national climate adaptation plans.
And the winner is ETHIOPIA
12. Category: Most Outstanding Country Gender Equality & Women’s Empowerment Criteria: Celebrates a relentless advocate or a nation with progressive policies that have advanced gender equality. This is measured by increased women's representation in leadership (political and corporate), closing gender gaps in education and pay, and strengthening laws against gender-based violence.
And the winner is RWANDA
13. Category: Most Outstanding Impact on Digital Culture Criteria: This award honors digital creators whose work have achieved massive adoption, shaping the visual experience of millions users in the tech space and social media.
The winner is Taurai Mtake MADIMI ONE GOOGLE FONT
14. Category: Most Influential Author Criteria: Author must have demonstrably influenced a generation of readers, writers, and thinkers across the continent and the diaspora, he or she must have sparked important conversations within society, academia, or the arts. Writer must have served as a mentor, directly or indirectly, inspiring younger women/girls/men/boys to find their own voices. Author must have achieved significant critical acclaim and must have reached a wide audience, transcending borders.
The winner is Lola Akinmade Åkerström
15. Category: Award for Literary Excellence Criteria: This award honors a single work of exceptional literary merit that demonstrates outstanding achievement in the art of writing. It celebrates a book that is not only compelling in its story but also distinguished by its ambition, mastery of language, and lasting impact on the reader.
The winner is IN EVERY MIRROR SHE IS BLACK by Lola Akinmade Åkerström
16. Award for Excellence in Arts & Cultural Expression Criteria: This award honors an artist (visual arts, literature, sculpture, etc.) whose work has not only achieved critical acclaim but has also authentically told an African story, challenged perspectives, and preserved or redefined cultural heritage on a global stage.
The winners are MARCIA HARVEY THERESA TRAORE DAHLBERG
17. Award for Global Impact in Entertainment Criteria: Awards a musician, actor, filmmaker, an event organiser or athlete who has achieved extraordinary international success and, in doing so, has become a powerful and positive ambassador for Africa, breaking stereotypes and inspiring a new generation.
The winners are;
Best Film Actor - DAVID NZINGA
Best Film Producer - David Nzinga
Best Film Director - DANI KOUYATE
Best Musical Artist - CJoe (Ahumma)
Best Music Festival - Uppsala Reggae Festival organised by Yared Tekeste
Best Film Festival - CinemAfrica Film Festival organised by CinemAfrica
18. Man Of The Year Criteria: The highest honor, reserved for an iconic figure whose lifelong body of work and unwavering dedication have irrevocably shaped their sector, paved way for black people, and left an indelible, positive mark on the African diaspora. This person's work serves to include black people on the table.
The winner is Felix Unogwu - REDI School Of Digital Integration
19. Most Outstanding Country Youth Empowerment Awarded to: An Individual, Organisation or country Criteria: Celebrates a young achiever who is already making a significant impact in any field. This award looks for innovation, leadership potential, and a proven track record of creating positive change, serving as a role model for millions of African youth. This category also celebrates countries with enomours investment on youth development.
And the winner is RWANDA
20. Category: Woman Of The Year Criteria: The highest honor, reserved for an iconic figure whose lifelong body of work and unwavering dedication have irrevocably shaped their sector, paved way for black people, and left an indelible, positive mark on the African diaspora. This person's work serves to include black people on the table.
The winner is Maureen Odora Hoppers
21. Most Outstanding Organization For Youth Development Criteria: This award recognises an organisation whose work are centered around youth development (YENNENGA PROGRESS - STINA BERG) (OUT OF AFRICA MALMO) 22. MOST OUTSTANDING INTERNATIONAL ORGANIZATION FOR AFRICA Criteria: This award specifically honours an international organisation dedicated to alleviation of poverty in Africa, especially supporting women and girls upliftment.
The winner is AFRIKA GRUPPERNA
23. Excellence in Cultural Authenticity and Representation Criteria:The work contributes to a broader understanding and appreciation of the culture among general audiences. It is recognized by cultural stakeholders and community members as a respectful and authentic depiction.
The winner is NACs - North West Association of Camerounians in Stockholm
24. Most Outstanding Women Association 2025 The winner is RWAS - Rwandan Women Association Sweden Ghana Ladies Association Sweden 25 Event of The Year Criteria: This Award honours the event with the biggest impact in the last one year
The winner is International Womens Day Celebration by Rwandan Women Association Sweden
26. Africa's Most Vibrant Tourism Destination 2025 Criteria: Rich portfolio of unique & marketable experiences beyond traditional safaris, Commitment to sustainable tourism, environmental conservation & positive community impact, Tourism's significant role in national economy with broad-based local benefits
And the winners are: Zambia & Zimbabwe
27. Award for Multidisciplinary Work Criteria: This award honours an artist, director, producer, musician who has achieved success in masterfully blending two or more distinct artistic or technical disciplines to create film, play, music, opera etc. The work must also serve to create a positive narative for the black community. It honors the creative vision that seamlessly integrates different styles of art into one single, unified voice.
The winner is David Nzinga (Gustavia)
26. Young Entrepreneur of The Year Criteria: This award recognises young under 30s with big idea to solve big problems and ability to think differently, the ability to identify and solve a meaningful problem, and the Social & Community Impact of the project.
And the winner is - JEMIRA MAMBA (LIMITLESS)
28. Corporate Brand of The Year Criteria: unwavering commitment to excellence, profound impact in the African and gloal community, projects Africa in positive light, bringing Africa to the world stage, and shaping the continent's global image.
The winner is Ethiopian Airlines
29. Traditional Leadership Award Criteria: This award recognises recognizes traditional leaders preserving cultural heritage, its celebrates the impact of African chiefdoms in preserving traditions and heritages.
The winner is Nana Afia Achiaa Deiwaa I Queen Mother
30. The Future Innovator Catalyst Award Criteria: This award recognizes and celebrates an organization that has demonstrated an exceptional, tangible, and scalable commitment to empowering young people to transform their ambitious dreams into tangible realities, the category honours the entity that provides the crucial spark, support, and ecosystem for the next generation of innovators, creators, and change-makers.
The winner is Dromstort Organisation