Nairobi-based NGO wins Sh200m donor money
Kennedy and Jessica Odede join community members in Kibera doing their routine chores on January 26, 2016. FILE PHOTO | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
The NGO will receive the money in unrestricted funding.
A Kenyan non-governmental organisation won Sh200 million donor funding from the Conrad N. Hilton Humanitarian, a US-based non-profit organisation.
Shining Hope for Communities (SHOFCO which provides community-led services in six urban poor areas in Nairobi and Mombasa, will receive the money at this year’s Hilton Humanitarian Symposium and Prize Ceremony, which will take place in Los Angeles, US on October 19.
POOR AREAS
The funding will go towards boosting the NGO’s activities in Kibera, Kawangware, Mathare and Mukuru in Nairobi, Bangladesh and Mshomoroni in Mombasa
“The jury’s selection of SHOFCO to receive the 2018 Hilton Humanitarian Prize really speaks to the power of local actors, and signals a nod to the next generation of humanitarian and development leaders,” said Hilton Foundation President and CEO Peter Laugharn said during the announcement of the award on Wednesday.
“SHOFCO is a remarkable example of citizen-led change, created by people living in very challenging conditions. As Africa and the world urbanize and more informal settlements are created, SHOFCO provides an inspiring example of local creativity and solutions.”
The Nairobi-based organisation will receive the money in unrestricted funding, joining the list of 22 previous organisations that have received the Hilton Humanitarian Prize over the last two decades.
SHOFCO was founded in 2004 by Kennedy Odede, who was later joined by partner Jessica Posner in 2007.
The organisation creates sustainable, systemic change within urban slums in line with many of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) laid out by the United Nations in 2015.
“We are thrilled and honoured to receive the 2018 Hilton Humanitarian Prize,” said Mr Odede.
“We will use this tremendous opportunity to start an endowment to ensure the long-term financial health and sustainable growth of our work. This will allow SHOFCO to remain driven by community needs and leadership, not donor demands, now and in the future. The endowment will strengthen our work in partnership with community leaders and help us expand our investments to transform urban slums,” he added.
