Kennedy is one of Africa’s best- known community organizers and social entrepreneurs. For twenty-three years Kennedy lived in the Kibera Slum, the largest slum in Africa, where he experienced the devastating realities of life in extreme poverty first hand. The oldest of eight children, he became a street-child at the age of ten. Still, he …
When Jane Otai walks through the Nairobi slums, she is no stranger. No stranger to the women living in corrugated-metal shacks or worse, no stranger to the poverty, overcrowded conditions and health problems devastating families. Most of all, she is no stranger to the huge boost that family planning services can provide for the urban …
At a young age, Arinaitwe lost his parents and four siblings to infectious diseases, which included HIV/AIDS in rural western Uganda. As an “AIDS orphan” (a phrase which he uses critically), he experienced the often-problematic international development system first hand. In his essay, he wrote, “I encountered a republic of NGOs claiming their legitimacy in …
Chinery is passionate about promoting women's rights in African countries. In her role at AWDF, she works with women-led organizations to build their leadership and help them advocate for inclusive decision-making processes. Through this work, she has gained stories of successes and failures among grassroots organizations. Chinery began her career with Oxfam GB, where she …
Msimang’s early career focused on helping international organizations such as UNAIDS forge HIV/AIDS policies that responded to the specific needs of African women and girls swept up in the global pandemic. She eventually rose to become executive director of the Open Society Initiative for Southern Africa, supporting initiatives on human rights, good governance and democracy …