Kenya: Kibera-Born Social Innovator Mounts Civic Education Campaign to Mobilize New Voters

Nairobi — Shining Hope for Communities (SHOFCO) Founder and CEO Kennedy Odede kicked off his tour of Nairobi region's SHOFCO Urban Network (SUN) sites on Wednesday to mobilize eligible persons to register as voters as he launched community projects.

Odede, who was named the 2022 Social Innovator of the Year by the prestigious Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship, started in Makongeni, Makadara Sub-County where he opened a SUN office.

The new office in the area will be a focal point for residents who will benefit from SHOFCO services that include free gender-based response and prevention desk, free water, football tournament for youth and women empowerment projects.

"This is our new site here and I love enthusiasm from you (residents). I want us to work together to change our lives," he told SUN members.

The SHOFCO boss also called on the area residents to register in the ongoing voter registration exercise and maintain peace during campaign period.

"We need to arm ourselves with voters' card and vote in leaders who are going to attend to our needs. Voting will be secret, but we must make right choices," he told over 1,000 representatives during a townhall meeting.

From Makongeni, Odede proceeded to Kamukunji where he opened two SHOFCO offices and interacted with over 800 SUN group representatives.

In Kamukunji, SHOFCO intends to open a community centre which will provide space for the residents to hold social gatherings and trainings for youth and women.

"We will soon bring Sacco here in Kamukunji so that you can save and borrow money to start your own businesses and take your children to school. We now have over 22, 000 Sacco members in Kibera, Mathare and Mukuru in Nairobi and we need to now expand to other sites including Kamukunji," he told the residents.

Odede also visited Mathare where he opened a community centre as he seeks to reach more vulnerable people in the area.

SHOFCO Mathare is the second largest centre after Kibera. The organization has built two four-storey buildings in the area that mainly house a girls' school and a community health centre.

Mathare School for Girls is a tuition-free centre of excellence for vulnerable girls in Mathare slums. It is now in Grade 7, following in the footsteps of Kibera School for Girls which has sat KCPE for the past four years and counting.

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"Mathare is my second home. In fact, it has become my favourite of late because of the courteous nature of you the residents," Odede, who was gifted with an African attire, told over 600 group representatives.

He added: "Our idea was to have health care services affordable and accessible for you. We have partnered with the government to administer Covid-19 vaccine jabs in Mathare and I call on you to get vaccinated. Corona is still a threat," he told residents of Mathare 4A.

Mathare Senior Chief Rose Ayero attended the townhall meting and thanked SHOFCO for offering life changing services in the area.

"I got vaccinated at SHOFCO. I want to thank the CEO for bringing the Covid-19 vaccines closer to the people and I promise to work with you," Chief Ayero said.

She also called on those eligible for second and booster Covid-19 shots to visit SHOFCO Mathare clinic for the jab.

From Mathare, Odede proceeded to Githogoro slums in Runda ward where he met over 400 SUN group representatives.

Githogoro SHOFCO site is now two years old and residents benefitted from Covid-19 prevention and mitigation services which include free soap, water, handwashing stations and foodstuffs during the peak of Covid-19 infection in 2020.

"You have requested for a mobile clinic and I'll ensure it is brought here soon," he promised the Githogoro residents.

SHOFCO started in Kibera and it has spread across Kenya, serving 2.4 million people.