Poku Osei, the founder of Babbasa, the innovative organisation seeking to tackle high rates of youth unemployment in inner-city Bristol, has been named as Person of the Year in a prestigious awards scheme.
Poku, who is Babbasa’s CEO, set up the non-profit organisation in 2013 with the aim of helping young people find their dream job.
Since then it has supported more than 300 young people a year, amounting to almost 2,000 people in total.
The organisation offers free skills training, mentoring and work experience to less advantaged 16-25 year olds who have not had equal access to opportunities.
Poku collected the top accolade at the MTM Awards, which celebrate achievements in diversity in Bristol, the South West and nationally.
He said that he was “humbled” to receive the award and hoped it will make more young people aware of the support they can receive from Babbasa.
“I believe we all have a responsibility to lift people out of poverty. To that end, I feel privileged to be able to dedicate this phase of my life to such a cause,” he said.
“This is what I love to do, so to receive an award for what you love to makes it special.”
Poku, who was presented with the award at a black-tie ceremony in Bristol, adds it to a Lord Mayor’s Medal for his community service in what has been a landmark year for Poku and Babbasa.
The organisation was named employment engagement agency Synergy Creative’s Charity of the Year and has also recently moved from a shared office space to its own community hub in St Pauls, as it looks to continue to expand.
Babbasa also hosted its first youth conference in October, giving young people from across the city a chance to share their needs and aspirations with city leaders as they look to empower the leaders of the future.
Outside of Babbasa, Poku’s work includes setting up the first-ever Bristol Hub for the World Economic Forum initiative – Global Shapers (Bristol Hub) and working with Bristol’s City Office to widen participation and equal opportunity in the city.
He also co-founded The Black Professionals Network, an organisation which looks to connect professionals from diverse backgrounds.
The MTM Awards, which are now in their eighth year, are staged by Mast the Magazine. It was inspired to create them after noticing that there was an urgent need for more positive role models to be actively promoted, with the aim to empower and inspire the wide breadth of diverse communities across the South West.
There are 21 awards across seven categories, including business, community, fashion, and arts.
Click here to find out more about Babbasa.
Pictured: Poku, fourth from left, with the Babbasa team at the MTM Awards
