2011 CAMPAIGN
In Kibera, Nairobi, marked by extreme poverty and high child mortality, Kennedy Odede responded to the challenges he grew up with by founding SHOFCO (Shining Hope for Communities). Focused on empowering women and children, SHOFCO started with a free school for girls, sparking significant social change. The Mothers' Day Movement's 2011 campaign significantly supported SHOFCO, raising over $135,000 to enhance their educational and community services. This contribution helped build the Kibera School for Girls, the heart of SHOFCO's transformative work, which has since expanded to include more schools and comprehensive community services. Kennedy Odede's vision and the support of the Mothers' Day Movement exemplify the power of collective effort in making a lasting impact.
IN THEIR WORDS
“Through the support of the Mothers' Day Movement, we built our beautiful expanded school for girls in Kibera. This is an incredible movement that gives the opportunity for every woman to have an impact. When women come together, the world must listen.”
- Kennedy Odede, SHOFCO Founder & CEO
EDUCATION FOR SOCIAL CHANGE
The Problem
Kibera, Nairobi is Kenya’s most economically depressed area. 1 in 5 children from Kibera do not live to see their fifth birthday. There are many issues arising from the extreme poverty in this area, lack of adequate clean water, sanitation, education, oppression of community leaders and gender inequality.
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Kennedy Odede was born and raised in Kibera. Because of the incredible hardship suffered by his family, Odede has dedicated his life to helping women and children in the region. This young visionary founded SHOFCO, an organization that has placed a free school for girls in the community as a portal for large-scale social change. This approach invites both genders to be a part of the solution and builds a community invested in it’s own future with education as the catalyst. Ultimately, this will transform the face of urban poverty while creating tomorrow’s leaders.
WHAT WE DID TOGETHER
With the funds raised from hundreds of people who joined the Mothers' Day Movement to shift gift-giving on Mother's Day, SHOFCO rebuilt the Kibera School for Girls, the centerpiece of their programs. SHOFCO also provides holistic community services helping in the areas of health, community empowerment, clean water and sanitation.
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After MDM introduced Nicolas Kristof to SHOFCO, their success multiplied exponentially. Kristof and WuDunn featured SHOFCO in their 2015 PBS documentary “A Path Appears.”
2,000
Number of Donations
$135,000
Together, We Raised