By standard team
What started as a
teenager’s dream in the slum has turned into a Sh200 million award winning
cause. Kennedy Odede’s plans of starting an initiative to improve his life and
of those around him started as a mere idea but he never once thought that they
would go as far as gaining international recognition. ALSO READ: Shun poll
violence, say MPs His organisation, Shining Hope for Communities (SHOFCO)
bagged the biggest global award given to humanitarian causes, making them the
first local NGO formed by a local person to get recognized by the Hilton
Foundation. The Annual Hilton Humanitarian Award worth 200 million will be formally
presented to the NGO in October. His great achievement was widely celebrated
with the likes of Safaricom CEO Bob Collymore and Famous Actor Tony Goldwyn
taking to their twitter to congratulate him and the organisation. Kennedy
Odede, SHOFCO’s founder says that when he got the call from the foundation
concerning the award he thought that it was a joke until their backed the
confirmation via mail which was when he believed it all. “I thought they were
joking, it felt so unreal until they sent me an email to confirm that we are to
receive the award after being nominated,” he said. Avoid fake news! Subscribe
to the Standard SMS service and receive factual, verified breaking news as it
happens. Text the word ‘NEWS’ to 22840 A dream that he attributes to gaining
inspiration from the likes of Marcus Garvey, Martin Luther King, Wangari
Maathai and his own Mother whom he contributes to his advocacy for gender
equality. “SHOFCO was a dream that I had as a teenager growing up in Kibera. A
lot of foreign people would come and start organizations to help the community
but none would last, that is when I decided that it was time for someone in the
locality to start something that would benefit the people in my community and
would feel completely owned by the community,” he said. Young girls play at
SHOFCO’s school for the girls founded by Kenned Odede in Kibra slums, Nairobi.
[Elvis Ogina/Standard] Kennedy started the
organisation in 2004 in Kibera and
was later joined by his co-founder Jessica Posner in 2007, growing up in
the area and witnessing all the problems his people were facing Odede decided
that it was time to implement solid solutions that would help slum dwellers
live a comfortable lif if not perfect. ALSO READ: Kamuren declared MP amid
protest in Baringo South by-elections Projects on the ground In Kibera- the
genesis of it all, the projects clearly represent the great work that the
organisation is doing to see its people live a comfortable if not perfect life.
Due to the poor sanitation conditions in the area, SHOFCO came up with a
brilliant idea through aerial piping connected to storage tanks that ensure the
residents receive pure and clean water. The method sees the water pipes hoisted
up in the sky with strong poles rather than having them laid down on the ground
where the water can easily get contaminated due to the poor sewerage systems.
Kenned Odede, the founder of SHOFCO during the interview with the Standard in
Nairobi. [Elvis Ogina/ Standard] The storage tank that holds 100,000 litres of
water is dispensed to the community through a water dispenser kiosk where the
residents pay an affordable sum of 2 shillings per 20 litre. Education and
economic empowerment for women and girls has also been a key priority for the
organisation. SHOFCO has also set up a primary school exclusively for girls,
The Kibera School for Girls that has 500 girls currently enrolled. ALSO READ:
Militia threat hampers Ebola fight in Congo Kennedy’s reason for this stems
from his view of the plight of women in the informal settlements. He did not
like how women were being mistreated and struggling to fend for their families.
“Women are the pillars of the society if we educate and empower them just like
we do with the men then we will promoting gender equality. The school is a radicalisng
change to show that if women and young girls are given the opportunity a lot of
great things can happen, “said Odede. Kibera residents also benefit medically
with a clinic setup to offer free medical services, offering maternal care for
pregnant women before and after birth. Beneficiaries Through the SHOFCO Urban
Network(SUN) that was launched three
years ago the community has greatly
benefited from projects such as Community SACCO’S and WelfareGroups that have
enabled the Kibera residents to start their own business ventures and have also
taken care of bereavement matters where members are given an amount of
sh.50,000 to fund funeral plans. SUN was
formed with an aim of improving the living standards of slum dwellers. SHOFCO’s
clean water aerial pipes (blue) founded by Kenned Odede in Kibra slums,
Nairobi. [Elvis Ogina/ Standard] Consolata Adhiambo a Kibera resident says that
the project has greatly impacted her life with her grandchildren getting good
education opportunities and her health improved from the free medical services
at the clinic. “As a grandmother my grandchildren have been able to get good
education opportunities with some at the Kibera School of Girls and others
under the scholarship programme, we have also profited from the free medical
services at the clinic without having to go far to get treated,” she said. Mr.
Onyango a community mobiliser for SHOFCO echoes the same sentiments, he has
seen great transformation in his life and of those in the Kibera community.
ALSO READ: Charles Kamuren wins Baringo South by-election “Our children have
been granted great education opportunities through SHOFCO’s affordable
scholarships, with my own brother being a benefactor of the programme. As a
community we have been accorded affordable supply of clean water, free medical
services and economic empowerment,” he added. To them SHOFCO is an oasis of
hope, a proof that no matter what your circumstances are there is a sure
promise of a better life and a brighter future.
teenager’s dream in the slum has turned into a Sh200 million award winning
cause. Kennedy Odede’s plans of starting an initiative to improve his life and
of those around him started as a mere idea but he never once thought that they
would go as far as gaining international recognition. ALSO READ: Shun poll
violence, say MPs His organisation, Shining Hope for Communities (SHOFCO)
bagged the biggest global award given to humanitarian causes, making them the
first local NGO formed by a local person to get recognized by the Hilton
Foundation. The Annual Hilton Humanitarian Award worth 200 million will be formally
presented to the NGO in October. His great achievement was widely celebrated
with the likes of Safaricom CEO Bob Collymore and Famous Actor Tony Goldwyn
taking to their twitter to congratulate him and the organisation. Kennedy
Odede, SHOFCO’s founder says that when he got the call from the foundation
concerning the award he thought that it was a joke until their backed the
confirmation via mail which was when he believed it all. “I thought they were
joking, it felt so unreal until they sent me an email to confirm that we are to
receive the award after being nominated,” he said. Avoid fake news! Subscribe
to the Standard SMS service and receive factual, verified breaking news as it
happens. Text the word ‘NEWS’ to 22840 A dream that he attributes to gaining
inspiration from the likes of Marcus Garvey, Martin Luther King, Wangari
Maathai and his own Mother whom he contributes to his advocacy for gender
equality. “SHOFCO was a dream that I had as a teenager growing up in Kibera. A
lot of foreign people would come and start organizations to help the community
but none would last, that is when I decided that it was time for someone in the
locality to start something that would benefit the people in my community and
would feel completely owned by the community,” he said. Young girls play at
SHOFCO’s school for the girls founded by Kenned Odede in Kibra slums, Nairobi.
[Elvis Ogina/Standard] Kennedy started the
organisation in 2004 in Kibera and
was later joined by his co-founder Jessica Posner in 2007, growing up in
the area and witnessing all the problems his people were facing Odede decided
that it was time to implement solid solutions that would help slum dwellers
live a comfortable lif if not perfect. ALSO READ: Kamuren declared MP amid
protest in Baringo South by-elections Projects on the ground In Kibera- the
genesis of it all, the projects clearly represent the great work that the
organisation is doing to see its people live a comfortable if not perfect life.
Due to the poor sanitation conditions in the area, SHOFCO came up with a
brilliant idea through aerial piping connected to storage tanks that ensure the
residents receive pure and clean water. The method sees the water pipes hoisted
up in the sky with strong poles rather than having them laid down on the ground
where the water can easily get contaminated due to the poor sewerage systems.
Kenned Odede, the founder of SHOFCO during the interview with the Standard in
Nairobi. [Elvis Ogina/ Standard] The storage tank that holds 100,000 litres of
water is dispensed to the community through a water dispenser kiosk where the
residents pay an affordable sum of 2 shillings per 20 litre. Education and
economic empowerment for women and girls has also been a key priority for the
organisation. SHOFCO has also set up a primary school exclusively for girls,
The Kibera School for Girls that has 500 girls currently enrolled. ALSO READ:
Militia threat hampers Ebola fight in Congo Kennedy’s reason for this stems
from his view of the plight of women in the informal settlements. He did not
like how women were being mistreated and struggling to fend for their families.
“Women are the pillars of the society if we educate and empower them just like
we do with the men then we will promoting gender equality. The school is a radicalisng
change to show that if women and young girls are given the opportunity a lot of
great things can happen, “said Odede. Kibera residents also benefit medically
with a clinic setup to offer free medical services, offering maternal care for
pregnant women before and after birth. Beneficiaries Through the SHOFCO Urban
Network(SUN) that was launched three
years ago the community has greatly
benefited from projects such as Community SACCO’S and WelfareGroups that have
enabled the Kibera residents to start their own business ventures and have also
taken care of bereavement matters where members are given an amount of
sh.50,000 to fund funeral plans. SUN was
formed with an aim of improving the living standards of slum dwellers. SHOFCO’s
clean water aerial pipes (blue) founded by Kenned Odede in Kibra slums,
Nairobi. [Elvis Ogina/ Standard] Consolata Adhiambo a Kibera resident says that
the project has greatly impacted her life with her grandchildren getting good
education opportunities and her health improved from the free medical services
at the clinic. “As a grandmother my grandchildren have been able to get good
education opportunities with some at the Kibera School of Girls and others
under the scholarship programme, we have also profited from the free medical
services at the clinic without having to go far to get treated,” she said. Mr.
Onyango a community mobiliser for SHOFCO echoes the same sentiments, he has
seen great transformation in his life and of those in the Kibera community.
ALSO READ: Charles Kamuren wins Baringo South by-election “Our children have
been granted great education opportunities through SHOFCO’s affordable
scholarships, with my own brother being a benefactor of the programme. As a
community we have been accorded affordable supply of clean water, free medical
services and economic empowerment,” he added. To them SHOFCO is an oasis of
hope, a proof that no matter what your circumstances are there is a sure
promise of a better life and a brighter future.