Caribbean Youth Shine at CAF’s Enrique García Leadership Award 2025

Three young visionaries captured the spotlight at the 2025 Enrique García Leadership Award, standing among six finalists from across Latin America and the Caribbean. Two young entrepreneurs from the Caribbean, Kerri-Ann Bovell of Barbados and Nicholas Kee of Jamaica, earned “Special Mention” for their innovative, socially driven ventures that are making a difference in their communities.

The Enrique García Leadership Award, established by CAF – Development Bank of Latin America and the Caribbean in 2022, recognises outstanding young leaders from its shareholder countries whose work drives positive change in communities and the environment. Each year, the award focuses on a specific theme aligned with CAF’s strategic agenda of promoting sustainable development, inclusion, equity, and innovation.

This year’s Enrique Garcia Leadership Award focused on social entrepreneurship, celebrating young leaders using innovative and sustainable business strategies to solve pressing social and environmental challenges.

Peruvian José Adolfo Quisocala captured this year’s honour, with his project that promotes financial education and inclusion in children and young people through innovative experiential learning. His initiative uses solid waste as ‘Eco Moneda’ or Eco Currency to encourage savings, entrepreneurship and, ultimately, fight poverty in his community.

Kerri-Ann Bovell’s project EcoMyco tackles two environmental problems that affect Barbados and the Caribbean – the growing Sargassum and bio-waste problem and the region’s heavy reliance on plastics. EcoMyco was conceived in 2019 while she was a student at The University of the West Indies and transforms sargassum and agricultural waste, such as cassava peels, into biodegradable materials for agriculture, cosmetics, and furniture manufacturing. Its innovations include the region’s first weed-barrier prototype made from these materials, serving as a sustainable alternative to plastic mulch for farmers. EcoMyco also pioneered compressed Sargassum boards for bespoke furniture and interior fixtures that are durable, water-resistant, and cost-effective.

Kee’s Kee Farms Foundation, an initiative by Jamaican entrepreneur Nicholas Kee, focuses on aquaculture as a pathway to climate justice. In 2020, he established Kee Farms as an ocean farm and network in Jamaica focused on carbon removal through seaweed and oyster cultivation and ocean habitat restoration. Following the company’s acquisition in early 2024, he transitioned its charitable activities to the non-profit Kee Farms Foundation, which now fuels its mission to deliver ocean-based climate solutions that regenerate biodiversity, strengthen fisherfolk livelihoods, and build resilient coastal economies. Today, the Foundation is training fisherfolk in sustainable ocean farming, piloting seaweed cultivation for both environmental restoration and value-added products and partnering with marine sanctuaries to scale community-led regenerative aquaculture across the Caribbean. His goal is to improve incomes for 4,000 fisherfolk by 2030, regenerate biodiversity in farm areas by 15 percent, and sequester 1.8 million tonnes of carbon.

Reflecting on their achievements, Bovell said, “Being selected for the Enrique García Leadership Award fills me with profound gratitude and underscores my lifelong dedication to Caribbean-centered innovation… This recognition propels my vision to accelerate transformational, positive change in the Caribbean scientific landscape.”

Kee stated, “I see this as a win for the Caribbean’s climate leadership. Through Kee Farms, we’re proving that small island states can lead the world in regenerative ocean and land-based solutions – protecting biodiversity, empowering communities and building resilient economies. This recognition from CAF fuels my commitment to scaling our impact and ensuring the Caribbean’s voice shapes the global climate agenda.”

Trinidad and Tobago’s Dareem Jeffrey was also a finalist from the Caribbean. His Ecowash project is the first water-conserving car wash in the Caribbean, using only 2 litres per vehicle and powered by solar energy.

Dr. Stacy Richards-Kennedy, CAF’s Regional Manager for the Caribbean, said, “It brings me great personal joy to see our young people taking the lead in innovation and climate action. Now more than ever, we need our young leaders to be at the forefront of securing a resilient future for the Caribbean, and CAF is proud to support initiatives that recognise and motivate them. CAF currently has six shareholder countries in the English-speaking Caribbean, with several more at various stages of our incorporation process. My hope is that this award serves as a platform to inspire more young people from the Caribbean to pursue resilient, climate-focused, and sustainable initiatives. I extend my heartfelt congratulations to all the finalists, special mention awardees and this year’s winner.”

In 2023, Barbados’ Ashley Lashley, founder of the Ashley Lashley Foundation, also received a Special Mention for her commitment to youth empowerment.  Ms. Lashley was recently appointed to the United Nations Secretary General’s Youth Advisory Group on Climate Change.