Kenyan Innovator Wins Global Citizen Prize for Solar-Powered Farming Solution
The Solar Freeze founder is among four young advocates globally recognised for their work in ending extreme poverty.
Dysmus Kisilu, the Kenyan entrepreneur behind Solar Freeze, has been named one of four recipients of this year’s Global Citizen Prize, a prestigious award recognising young leaders making outstanding contributions to ending extreme poverty worldwide.
Kisilu will be honoured on stage at Global Citizen NOW in New York City on Thursday, May 14, where he will receive a $10,000 grant alongside continued support from Global Citizen for the remainder of the year.
As founder of Solar Freeze, Kisilu has developed a solution targeting one of East Africa’s most persistent agricultural challenges: post-harvest losses. His company provides solar-powered cold storage units to local farmers, boosting agricultural productivity and helping smallholder farmers preserve their produce without relying on an unreliable grid. The innovation directly addresses food security concerns across Kenya, where a significant portion of harvests is lost due to lack of adequate storage infrastructure.
“Young people are taking bold action to end extreme poverty in every corner of the world, and Global Citizen is proud to recognise the remarkable achievements of this year’s prize winners,” said Liza Henshaw, President of Global Citizen. “These extraordinary leaders are unflinchingly committed to advancing research and advocacy in education, food security, energy, and global health.”
Kisilu joins three other recipients from India, Uganda, and Malawi, each tackling a distinct dimension of global poverty. Together, the cohort reflects the breadth of grassroots innovation emerging from the Global South.
The announcement also spotlighted a separate but related accolade with direct ties to Kenya. Diana Virgovicova, founder of Xatoms, a water technology company using artificial intelligence and quantum chemistry to purify highly contaminated water, won the Global Citizen Prize: Cisco Youth Leadership Award, which carries a $250,000 grant. Virgovicova has launched pilot projects in Kenya and South Africa as part of her mission to expand access to safe drinking water for the more than two billion people currently without it.
The awards will be presented at Global Citizen NOW’s fifth annual summit, supported by major partners including Cisco, Delta Air Lines, PayPal, and P&G.
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