Ahead of its annual summit aimed at driving action to end extreme poverty, the advocacy organization Global Citizen has unveiled this year’s recipients of its Global Citizen Prize. The prize honors individuals who have demonstrated exceptional commitment to defeating poverty, defending the planet, and demanding equity.

The recipients, three of which are Africans, will each receive a year-long program of support from Global Citizen, together with a cash grant for their organization.

Andrew Ddembe is a health lawyer, and the founder and executive director of MobiKlinic Foundation, which is helping to fix rural health care access in Uganda.

Lydia Charles Moyo is the founder and executive director of the Panda Digital and Her Initiative, a women-led non-profit organization that’s fostering financial resilience among adolescent girls and young women in Tanzania through the fusion of economic empowerment and technology integration.

Olivier Bahemuke Ndoole is a Congolese environmental rights defender and lawyer. He’s also the cofounder of Alerte Congolaise pour l’Environnement et les Droits de l’Homme (ACEDH), advocating for transparent, accountable, fair and sustainable governance of land tenure regimes for DRC’s lands, national parks, forests and lakes and for nature conservation in general.

The other two recipients are Sophie Healy-Thow (Ireland), founder of Act4Food and Global Youth Campaigns Coordinator for the GAIN (Global Alliance for Improved Nutrition); and Vishal Prasad (Fiji), Campaign Director, Pacific Islands Students Fighting Climate Change.

“If we are to address the world’s most pressing issues, we need to support young leaders who are taking action now,” Liza Henshaw, President, Global Citizen, said in a press statement. “It is an honor to celebrate these inspirational trailblazers, who are dedicating their lives to uplifting the most vulnerable in their local communities, and advancing the fight against ending extreme poverty across the world.”

These three African prize winners will be among those celebrated with a dedicated award ceremony during the Global Citizen NOW summit in New York between May 1 and 2, which features OkayAfrica among the media partners. The ceremony will be hosted by CBS News national correspondent Vladimir Duthiers, and will be graced by the Prime Minister of the Bahamas, Honorable Philip Davis, along with musical performances by four-time Grammy-nominated country superstar Mickey Guyton, and violinist and composer Ezinma.

The 2024 edition of Global Citizen NOW will focus on ideas for urgent action to achieve a world where everyone’s basic needs are fulfilled, with an emphasis on inclusive access to food, energy, healthcare and education. The summit will also advocate for increased climate financing and the phase out of fossil fuels, and a wholesome future where every person and country can prosper through economic development, access to finance, innovation and job creation.

The summit will feature panel discussions that will involve dozens of co-chairs and participants, including Botswana President Mokgweetsi Masisi, former Sweden Prime Minister Erna Solberg, actor and playwright Danai Gurira, and many more.

Tickets to Global Citizen NOW 2024 are available here, while millions will be able to tune in and join the conversations virtually.