Tendayi Ganga is the Canberra Citizen of the Year for 2026.
19 March 2026
In brief:
- Tendayi Ganga is the Canberra Citizen of the Year for 2026.
- She founded the Born To Shine Organisation in Canberra.
- Born To Shine provides essential resources and support to help women overcome barriers.
Women’s empowerment leader Tendayi Ganga is the 2026 Canberra Citizen of the Year.
The Canberra Citizen of the Year Award recognises people who have made a large contribution to the Canberra community.
Tendayi Ganga founded the Born To Shine Organisation in Canberra in 2019.
Born To Shine provides essential resources, training and support to help women and girls overcome barriers and pursue their goals.
Ms Ganga and her team also support women by offering:
- guidance from mentors
- skills development
- financial advice and support
- events centred around family.
In 2025, Born To Shine hosted its first mother–daughter event against domestic violence. This was a community initiative designed to spark meaningful conversations and raise awareness about domestic violence.
Through her ability to lead open and supportive conversations on challenging topics, Ms Ganga creates safe spaces within the community.
'I am deeply honoured by this recognition,’ Tendayi said.
‘Through Born To Shine, my passion has always been to create safe spaces where women and families can discover their strength, embrace their purpose and remember that we are all born to shine.’
About the Canberra Citizen of the Year Award
The Canberra Citizen of the Year Award promotes and fosters a sense of civic pride.
Canberra Citizen award-winners encourage others to give back to our community.
You can nominate anyone who is making a significant contribution to the Canberra community. They could be a person who goes above and beyond to help those in need. Or someone who excels in their field and inspires others.
Find out more about the Canberra Citizen of the Year Award on the ACT Government Honours and Awards webpage.
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