Kennedy Odede

Kenyan social entrepreneur building sustainable communities through women's empowerment

Kennedy Odede is the founder of SHOFCO (Shining Hope for Communities), an organization transforming Nairobi's Kibera slum through integrated development programs. Starting with a $25 microloan in 2011, Odede expanded SHOFCO to operate 7 schools, 3 health centers, and a clean water initiative serving 30,000+ people by 2025. His radical approach combines girls' education with maternal healthcare - every enrollment in SHOFCO's girls' school provides free medical care for their mothers.

In 2023, Odede launched the Motherhood Initiative, reducing maternal mortality rates in Kibera by 62% through mobile health clinics and training local midwives. His partnership with UNICEF's 2024 Girls' Education Initiative expanded the model to 5 new African cities. Odede's memoir 《Finding Me in the Slums》 (2022) details his journey from orphaned street child to social innovator.

His documentary 《The Power of a Mother's Education》 (2025) won an Emmy and inspired similar programs in India and Brazil. Odede's work is highlighted in Harvard Kennedy School case studies as a blueprint for scalable community development.