Young Peruvian wins II Enrique García Leadership Award

Quisocala's project stands out for promoting 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 her community.

After receiving the award, José Adolfo Quisocala expressed his deep emotion: "I am very proud. Entrepreneurship is not easy, there is a lot of suffering, but the important thing is to know why things are done. Young people and children are not only the future of our countries, but we are also the present, and we see great stories of young people who are transforming the future."

During the award ceremony, Alejandra Claros, CAF's Secretary General, explained the selection criteria and the relevance of the projects presented: "We decided that the award would recognize projects aligned with CAF's strategy. Most of the proposals focused on climate justice, which tells us that young people are deeply concerned about the environment." Claros explained that the projects were evaluated under rigorous criteria of leadership and trajectory, feasibility, impact, innovation, affinity with CAF's objectives and market potential.

Enrique García, former president of CAF and the figure who gives his name to the award, shared his satisfaction with the high level of the participants: "We have 32 top-level candidates and a first-class jury. As judges, it was a very difficult job to decide because they were all of a high level. It has been an extremely pleasant experience, and I am proud to see everything CAF does and what it will continue to do in the future, with all the support and appreciation that we will continue to give them."

In addition to Quisocala, special mentions were awarded to Kerri Ann Bovell of Barbados and Nicholas Kee of Jamaica for their outstanding projects. 

Among the solutions presented by the finalists, aged between 18 and 30 and representing Barbados, Peru, Argentina, Jamaica and Trinidad and Tobago, were initiatives to combat marine pollution, revolutionize education with artificial intelligence, democratize access to clean energy and promote financial inclusion in vulnerable communities. These projects are a clear testament to the immense potential of youth to drive sustainable and inclusive development in the region.

CAF's Enrique García Leadership Award selected its candidates from a total of 30 applications from 12 countries in Latin America and the Caribbean: Argentina, Bahamas, Barbados, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Jamaica, Panama, Paraguay, Peru and Trinidad and Tobago.