A pioneering young entrepreneur from Uganda, Dr. Charles Batte, has won a Commonwealth contest awarded to young people with bright ideas.

Batte, 28, is the founder and Chief Executive Officer of Tree Adoption Uganda (TAU), a youth-led social enterprise that works to jointly address the challenges of youth unemployment and climate change.

He presented his Bright Idea at the 10th Commonwealth Youth Forum in Malta on Monday, according to the Commonwealth Secretariat. 

Bright Ideas from a Young Commonwealth was launched on International Youth Day 2015. The initiative showcases the ideas and activities of Commonwealth young people who are leading positive change in their community, country or region.

The UN Population Fund says that Uganda has the world’s largest percentage of people under 30, which stands at 78%. A 2013. Statistics show that unemployment is a big problem in Uganda, especially among the youth.

TAU offers a six month programme of business training and mentoring to impoverished young people, helping them to create and develop and their own businesses, the communication said.

Participants build start-up capital by establishing tree nurseries through TAU’s Tree Capital programme. Trees are ‘adopted’ by large companies as part of their corporate social responsibility, and re-planted as part of reforestation campaigns in Uganda.

Batte said: “Winning this competition is an immense responsibility for me because I get to represent the voice, ideas and innovations of millions of other young people in the Commonwealth that are doing amazing work to create positive social impact in their own communities.”

“It is also an opportunity for me to remind young people that our small contributions in our different communities when summed up constitute global change. We therefore must go back and work hard, knowing that we are contributing to an unprecedented global cause,” Batte added.

Katherine Ellis, Director of Youth at the Commonwealth Secretariat said: “Charles is an outstanding young man whose entrepreneurial efforts towards economic and environmental impact are making a real difference in his community. Tree Adoption Uganda is a wonderful initiative, and it shows the innovative and creative thinking that epitomises a Bright Idea.”

 Ugandan youth wins Commonwealth award . 2015. Ugandan youth wins Commonwealth award . [ONLINE] Available at: http://www.newvision.co.ug/news/676161-ugandan-youth-wins-commonwealth-award.html. [Accessed 26 November 2015].