We are pleased to announce the winners of the 2025 Alumni Community Engagement Fund (ACEF). We received a huge volume of applications and the judges had a difficult task in selecting the activity proposals. Thank you to all the alumni who applied for ACEF this year – it was a pleasure to read your applications.
Congratulations to the winners on their successful proposals! Over the next 8 months, they will plan and deliver community-focused engagement activities to raise awareness about our three themes for 2025-2026. Keep reading to find out more about their activities.
Small changes for big impact
The Alumni Community Engagement Fund’s (ACEF) aims to champion small changes implemented at the community level which can lead to a big impact over time. ACEF enables Commonwealth Alumni to deliver engaging activities designed to raise awareness and support individuals in developing meaningful changes in their communities.
This year’s activity themes are:
- Building an entrepreneurial ecosystem
- Together We Thrive – a Commonwealth for the next generation
- Towards zero hunger
To learn more about the ACEF themes, please visit the CSC website.
Building an entrepreneurial ecosystem
- Zachary Winam (2019 Commonwealth Distance Learning Scholar from Kenya) – Strengthening capacity of beach management units (BMU) to enhance food security. Zachary will organise a two-day training session for BMU officials to promote sustainable management of fishery resources and improve the long-term availability of fish, a key source of food and income in the Homa Bay Town Sub-County region.
- Wilfred Opobo (2012 Commonwealth Scholar from Uganda) – Kick-start life after school: empowering youth through football and entrepreneurship. Using sport as a catalyst for change, Wilfred will deliver entrepreneurial skills training, life skills coaching, and mentorship for out-of-school youth. He will collaborate with local entrepreneurs and government ministries to address youth unemployment and the potential opportunities of micro businesses.
- Keiphe Setlhatlhanyo (2010 Commonwealth Scholar from Botswana) – Weaving futures: cultivating an entrepreneurial ecosystem for Botswana’s craft sector. Keiphe will deliver a series of events including workshops, networking events, and an exhibition to promote awareness of Botswana’s craft sector and its economic importance. Her activity will support craftspeople and youth to transform traditional skills into sustainable livelihoods, fostering an entrepreneurial ecosystem to improve local economies and preserve cultural heritage.
- Jewel Kumar Roy (2020 Commonwealth Scholar from Bangladesh) – Brain training: supporting future entrepreneurs in Bangladesh. Jewel will deliver workshops, panel discussions, and an ideathon to upskill university students in business ideation, financial literacy, and digital entrepreneurship. His activity will address the growing concern of youth unemployment in Bangladesh.
- Saikou Jeng (2023 Commonwealth Scholar from The Gambia) – Building resilience through financial and business literacy for local entrepreneurs. Saikou will organise a three-day workshop on business and financial management for local entrepreneurs in Jambanjelly. His activity will support small and medium-size enterprises, predominantly women-owned, to develop basic business growth strategies and create stable income streams.
- Edward Dixon (2015 Commonwealth Scholar from Jamaica) – Access to small business financing for women entrepreneurs in Antigua and Barbuda. Edward will deliver a one-day forum to explore the challenges and opportunities for women entrepreneurs in accessing finance for their business. He will invite policy makers and service providers to the forum to promote national schemes and resources available to women entrepreneurs.
- Kaushal Sharma (2016 Commonwealth Scholar from Fiji) – Shining bright: supporting women’s agri-entrepreneurship through access to solar energy. Kaushal will collaborate with women from the energy sector to create a solar dryer, a device that uses solar energy to preserve food and crops. The activity will also training for women farmers in how to use solar dryers for harvest preservation and develop skills to market their products.
Together We Thrive – a Commonwealth for the next generation
- Chris Chikwanda (2023 Commonwealth Professional Fellow from Zambia) – Digital skills training for grassroots football coaches in Zambia. Chris will deliver a training workshop to equip young football coaches with practical digital skills to promote sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) and interventions among adolescents in community settings.
- Alvine Tetu Akwei (2023 Commonwealth Scholar from Cameroon) – Bridging minds: a dialogue for mental health across generations. Alvine will deliver an intergenerational activity to promote awareness of mental health. Through the activity, youth and elders will share personal experiences and explore traditional and modern ways of coping with mental health challenges.
- Elaine Henry-McQueen (2003 Commonwealth Professional Fellow from Grenada) – Claiming rights and freedom together. Elaine will organise a round-table session on women’s rights and freedom. Her activity is aimed at encouraging young women and girls to learn from experienced gender advocates and be a part of the movement for gender equality in Grenada.<
- Peace Patricia Aanyu (2023 Commonwealth Professional Fellow from Uganda) – Addressing generational barriers associated with menstruation in Uganda. Peace will deliver intergenerational dialogue sessions on menstrual health management (MHM), bringing together adolescent girls and young women, parents, teachers, district officials, and civil society representatives. Her activity aims to reduce stigma, promote empathy, and increase awareness of MHM.
- Louisa Essendi (2023 Commonwealth Professional Fellow from Kenya) – Promoting the rights of Intersex, Trans, and Gender Non-Conforming (ITGNC) communities in Kenya. Lousia will conduct an activity for community members, allies, and stakeholders to address the rising anti-gender backlash in Uganda. The activity will aim to raise awareness of the gaps in monitoring and response systems and device solutions for unsafe environments and emergency support for gender and sexual minorities.
Towards zero hunger
Abolaji Ogunjimi (2023 Commonwealth Shared Scholar from Nigeria) – Building agri-digital literacy and climate resilience in Ibadan’s farming communities. Abolaji will partner with local NGOs to deliver a series of training sessions for farmers on climate-smart agriculture and digital tools to enhance resilience, reduce food losses, and improve livelihoods.
- Zachary Winam (2019 Commonwealth Distance Learning Scholar from Kenya) – Strengthening capacity of beach management units (BMU) to enhance food security. Zachary will organise a two-day training session for BMU officials to promote sustainable management of fishery resources and improve the long-term availability of fish, a key source of food and income in the Homa Bay Town Sub-County region.
- Barbara Amoah (2009 Commonwealth Shared Scholar from Ghana) – Reducing post-harvest losses through sustainable maize weevil management. Barbara will train maize farmers and merchants in pest management techniques, early pest detection, and post-harvest storage techniques. Through the activity, Barbara aims to empower women, youth farmers, and merchants with skills to improve maize retail operations.
