Waislitz Global
Citizen Awards

$300,000 in annual prizes celebrating excellence in the work to end extreme poverty

Latest

2026 Winners

Extraordinary global citizens making measurable impacts in ending extreme poverty.

Diana Yousef Disruptor Award

Diana Yousef

Founder and CEO, change:WATER Labs

Diana, from the United States, is a former NASA scientist turned sanitation entrepreneur. She founded change:WATER Labs, creating the iThrone, a waterless, sewerless toilet that has improved safe sanitation access for more than 20,000 people across Uganda, Panama, and the US. Winning the Global Citizen Waislitz Award will help scale iThrone distribution to millions more people by next year.
Smart Israel Grand Prize Winner

Smart Israel

Founder and CEO, Smartel Agri Tech

Smart, from Nigeria, is an agri-tech entrepreneur. Inspired by the hunger and displacement he witnessed growing up in the Middle Belt, he founded Smartel, deploying AI-enabled, solar-powered hydroponic systems that help climate-vulnerable communities grow food without soil. Winning the Global Citizen Waislitz Award will help reach 5,000 more households and expand Smartel's community hydroponic hub model.
Oghenekevwe William Emadago People's Choice

Oghenekevwe William Emadago

Co-Founder and COO, Girlified

Oghenekevwe, from Nigeria, is a social entrepreneur committed to ending period poverty. He co-founded Girlified, turning agricultural waste into affordable sanitary pads that have reached more than 70,000 women and girls since 2021. Winning the Global Citizen Waislitz Award will help Girlified reach 10 million women and girls annually by 2030.
About the Awards

Recognising Extraordinary Changemakers

Presented by the Waislitz Foundation and Global Citizen, the Awards are annual cash prizes totaling $300,000 that recognize individuals making extraordinary contributions to ending extreme poverty.

Three prizes of $100,000 each are awarded annually. Winners are invited to New York City to receive their award at the Global Citizen Festival during the week of the UN General Assembly.

“

Ending extreme poverty is not a choice, it's an obligation. My hope is that it will inspire many thousands of people around the world to do what they can to improve the living standards of those in dire need.

Alex Waislitz Chairman & Founder
Selection Process

How Winners Are Chosen

An independent panel evaluates applicants across five key dimensions.

Global Citizenship

Commitment to ending extreme poverty

Proof of Concept

1-2 years of measurable impact

Disruption

Innovative new approaches to change

Scalability

Potential to reach more communities

Adaptability

Works across cultures and contexts

Past Winners

A decade of extraordinary individuals creating systemic change across the globe.

2025
Osei Boateng

Osei Boateng

Grand Prize

OKB Hope Foundation • Ghana

Healthcare entrepreneur delivering mobile primary and preventive care to underserved rural communities, reaching thousands through health vans, education, and proactive healthcare solutions.

Maryanne Gichanga

Maryanne Gichanga

Disruptor Award

AgriTech Analytics Ltd • Kenya

Empowers smallholder farmers with AI-powered soil and crop diagnostics, boosting yields, reducing costs, and restoring degraded land.

Joshua Ichor

Joshua Ichor

People's Choice

Geotek Water Solutions Ltd • Nigeria

Hydrologist delivering solar-powered water systems and real-time monitoring to restore safe water access in fragile and underserved communities.

2024
Dysmus Kisilu

Dysmus Kisilu

Grand Prize

Solar Freeze • Kenya

Solar-powered cold storage units to smallholder farmers, significantly boosting agricultural productivity.

Isabelle Kamariza

Isabelle Kamariza

Disruptor Award

Solid'Africa • Rwanda

Co-founder revolutionizing nutrition security through a non-profit founded in 2010.

Farhana Rashid

Farhana Rashid

People's Choice

Bhumijo • Bangladesh

Founded Bhumijo in 2016 to address the country's toilet crisis after witnessing the health risks of unhygienic public toilets.

2023
Peter Njeri

Peter Njeri

Grand Award

Mega Gas Alternative Energy • Kenya

Co-founded a clean-tech startup providing access to clean and affordable cooking energy for low-income families while protecting the environment.

Esther Kimani

Esther Kimani

Disruptor Award

FarmerLifeline • Kenya

Climate agritech trailblazer disrupting Africa's agricultural sector.

Oluwafunke Adeoye

Oluwafunke Adeoye

Choice Award

Hope Behind Bars Africa • Nigeria

Closing the justice gap by providing free legal services and direct support to low-income incarcerated individuals while promoting criminal justice reforms.

2022
Kristin Kagetsu

Kristin Kagetsu

Grand Prize

Saathi • India

Behind India's first biodegradable menstrual pad, addressing lack of access to menstrual products in a sustainable way.

Naom Monari

Naom Monari

Award Winner

Bena Care • Kenya

Bringing healthcare to the doorsteps of low-income Kenyan communities.

Oladiwura Oladepo

Oladiwura Oladepo

Award Winner

Tech4Dev • Nigeria

Using technology as a powerful tool to fight poverty in Africa.

2021
Bina Shrestha

Bina Shrestha

Grand Prize

Build Up Nepal • Nepal

Helping rural families build homes with environmentally friendly materials and offering entrepreneurial opportunities for long-term income stability.

Tania Rosas

Tania Rosas

Award Winner

Origin Learning Fund • Colombia

Expanding education effectiveness through digital learning tools for 21st-century students.

Jimmy Pham

Jimmy Pham

Award Winner

KOTO • Vietnam

Social enterprise providing training in hospitality, life skills, English, and IT literacy to disadvantaged youth.

2020
Haroon Yasin

Haroon Yasin

Grand Prize

Orenda • Pakistan

Co-founder and CEO of an educational tech company creating engaging digital curriculum for children.

Nnaemeka Ikegwuonu

Nnaemeka Ikegwuonu

Disruptor Award

ColdHubs • Nigeria

Solar-powered walk-in cold rooms reducing post-harvest food loss for smallholder farmers.

Muzalema Mwanza

Muzalema Mwanza

COVID Response

Safe Motherhood Alliance • Zambia

Protecting maternal health during the pandemic through community-based healthcare delivery.

2019
Charlot Magayi

Charlot Magayi

Grand Prize

Mukuru Stoves • Kenya

Eco-entrepreneur on a mission to eradicate household air pollution in Africa.

Yogesh Kumar

Yogesh Kumar

Disruptor Award

Even Cargo • India

Founder of India's first women-only e-commerce logistics company, working toward a gender just society.

Qabale Duba

Qabale Duba

People's Choice

Qabale Duba Foundation • Kenya

Community-based organization empowering pastoralist girls and women in Northern Kenya through education and advocacy.

2018
Koketso Moeti

Koketso Moeti

Award Winner

amandla.mobi • South Africa

Turned every cell phone into an active citizenship tool, building a movement of over 200,000 active citizens.

Tabitha Mpamira-Kaguri

Tabitha Mpamira-Kaguri

Award Winner

Mutera • Uganda

Empowering women and communities in rural Uganda through sustainable development.

Caitlin Barrett

Caitlin Barrett

Award Winner

Love Mercy Foundation • Australia

Supporting women in northern Uganda to rebuild their lives through microfinance and community programs.

2017
Wilma Rodrigues

Wilma Rodrigues

Award Winner

Saahas Zero Waste • India

Pioneer in the waste management industry, converting organic waste into fertilizer.

2016
Clarisse Uwineza

Clarisse Uwineza

Award Winner

BIORGOFERT • Rwanda

Converting bio-organic waste into environmentally friendly and clean fertilizer to empower farmers.

2015
Twesigye Jackson Kaguri

Twesigye Jackson Kaguri

Award Winner

Nyaka AIDS Orphans Project • Uganda

Making education more accessible to AIDS orphans in Uganda through schools and support for grandmothers raising orphans.

2014
Anoop Jain

Anoop Jain

Award Winner

Humanure Power • India

Building sanitation facilities in rural India, addressing the underlying causes of poverty.

Gallery

From the Awards Ceremony

Moments from the 2025 Global Citizen Festival, New York City.

2025 Waislitz Awards winners with trophies
2025 Waislitz Awards trophies
2025 Waislitz Awards group photo
2025 Waislitz Awards ceremony
2025 Waislitz Awards ceremony
2025 Waislitz Awards ceremony
Information

Frequently Asked Questions

The Awards are open to individuals working to end extreme poverty worldwide. Applicants must demonstrate at least 1-2 years of proven, measurable impact through their work. Applications must be submitted in English.

The application window typically opens in May and closes in early June. For 2026, the submission window is May 14 through June 14, 2026 (PST). Applicants are encouraged to apply early as late submissions are not accepted.

An independent panel of judges evaluates applicants across five key dimensions: global citizenship, proof of concept, disruption, scalability, and adaptability. The People's Choice Award is selected through public voting on the Global Citizen platform.

The Awards total $300,000 in annual cash prizes, distributed as three prizes of $100,000 each: the Grand Prize, the Disruptor Award, and the People's Choice Award. Winners may use the prize funds to further their work in any way they see fit.

Winners are invited to New York City to receive their award and attend the Global Citizen Festival during the week of the United Nations General Assembly.

The Waislitz Global Citizen Awards are presented by the Waislitz Foundation and Global Citizen. The Foundation was established by Alex Waislitz to create positive social impact through innovative projects that empower individuals to meet their full potential.

Learn More at Global Citizen

Explore the full program, past winners, and application details on the Global Citizen website.

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