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Meet Our 2020 Global Award Winner, Akeme

Sponsored by The Aga Khan Foundation, the Global Award recognises a young person who has overcome barriers, developed confidence and demonstrated how the programme has had a meaningful and sustainable impact on their life.

12th March 2020

We are thrilled to announce the winner of the Global Award this year is Akeme Cox from Barbados! We truly believe that Akeme is a shining example of a young person who inspires others around the world.

Akeme grew up in Fairy Valley in the south of Barbados. His mum and dad both work in farming, his mum with horticulture and his dad with animals such as horses, sheep and goats.

When Akeme got to secondary school age he started hanging out with a new group of friends and he began to dislike school. Instead of going to school and focusing on his exams, Akeme started to skip class and meet up with his friends. The group would spend their time hanging out with gangs on the island.

In 2016 a friend of his heard about the launch of PTI’s TEAM programme in Barbados and recommended it to Akeme. He saw it as an opportunity  get involved in something new on the island.

Mr Jemmot and the other TEAM leaders gave him the confidence to believe in himself. He finally started to see that he had potential. After completing the TEAM programme, Akeme started to look for better opportunities for himself.

Following his work placement, Akeme was offered a full-time job at the Blue Horizon hotel, and although it wasn’t his dream career, he saw this as an opportunity to learn. Working at Blue Horizon has taught him to be vigilant and hardworking.

Akeme dreamed of being an entrepreneur, and as well as working at a restaurant in Oistins, he has set up his own hot sauce and catering company “Paradise Eats”.

Akeme also hopes to save up enough money to travel to Europe with a friend. In the future Akeme dreams of owning his own food truck in Barbados and continues to save money and work hard towards reaching this goal.