Kenya
Giraffe Heroes Kenya (GHK) finds, honors and tells the stories of Kenya's "Giraffe Heroes"––ordinary men, women and young people who are "sticking their necks out" to make life better for their communities and the country. Told via both traditional and social media, these stories inspire others to become active citizens themselves, taking on challenges facing Kenyan communities and the nation.
Telling the stories of heroes may be an old, old strategy, but, as the Giraffe Heroes Project USA has proven over more than 30 years, it is a powerful way to motivate positive, effective citizen action. See the stories below of the Kenyan Giraffe Heroes honored in 2014 and 2015.
GHK was launched on 17 October, 2014. The gala celebration, which took place at the Waterbuck Hotel in Nakuru, honored and appreciated 23 ordinary Kenyans and one non-Kenyan, from diverse backgrounds, who are taking risks to serve the common good, serving their communities in selfless ways. Present at the event was John Graham, a former US diplomat and the Director of Giraffe Heroes International, as well as representatives from the County Government of Nakuru. Dignitaries from corporate, academic and religious institutions also attended.
Giraffe Heroes Kenya is a wholly Kenyan-run affiliate of the Giraffe Heroes Project, USA. Kenya is the first country in East Africa and the third in Africa to undertake this initiative.
Nominations for the Giraffe Heroes Award
Take a look below at the stories of the brave, selfless men, women and young people already honored as Giraffe Heroes.
Do you know of another Kenyan woman, man or young person who is sticking her or his neck out to help solve some significant public problem? Someone who is acting with courage and caring to help make Kenya more peaceful, just and prosperous?
Would you like to see more stories of such people told throughout the country, inspiring many others to stick their necks out too?
Tell us about your nominee! Download the attached Nomination Form, fill it out and email it as an attachment to:
Ann Njeri Kimanthi, Director, Giraffe Heroes Kenya
The Giraffe Heroes of Kenya
Every minute of every day, Susan Kimasop fights for women. It’s not easy; she works in a region where women are treated very poorly. More
Stephen Ogutu was born with a disability that put him on crutches, but that hasn’t stopped him from helping others. In fact, if anything, it has spurred him on to helping others—those who desperately need help. More
Sister Rahab Nyaguthii has a hard life. She doesn’t have much money, and she’s compelled to farm and engage in other hard labor in order to do what she wants to do. More
Thinking more of others than yourself sometimes takes courage, especially if you're a young woman and you’re continually at risk for getting arrested. More
Robert Watene Njenga has been a fighter for social justice since 2006. He’s courageously taken up public interest campaigns. These are rights within the new Constitution—but demanding them is not something that many corrupt leaders appreciate. More
As a member of the police force, Chief Inspector Peninah Kamicha knows what a loaded firearm is and especially what it can do in the wrong hands. More
Patrick Owino Barasa empowers and enlightens citizens to become active participants in helping shape government policies that impact their lives. His efforts are not always a smooth sail. More
Mary Njeri Daniel rescues children who’ve been raped and assaulted, sacrificing her finances, her home and her comfort to give them a home, an education and life skills. More
Mary Kuket has dedicated her life to working as a volunteer for social change in Baringo County. She fights gender-based violence, promotes intertribal peace and teaches new methods for sustainable agriculture. More
John Ngare funds, manages and teaches in a school he created so that local children can attend pre-unit and lower primary classes that would otherwise be unavailable to them. More
Isaac Mbugua Kahacho mobilizies his community in Nakuru County to improve water and sanitation, education, health and nutrition, fighting HIV and AIDS and advocating for child protection. More
Eunice Njeri Mathenge is a renowned gospel artist who provides sanitary towels to poor girls in Lodwar and West Pokot so they do not miss days of school. More
Esther Waweru provides a home to Kayole’s abandoned, forsaken and destitute children. She took a leap of faith to do this without even knowing where she could get the help and support she needed. More
Emily Seteiyo is dedicated to reducing the high infant mortality rate in Kajiado, and she’s going the distance to make it happen. More
Elizabeth Achieng Ngongo helps girls who've been raped and made pregnant, then dropped out of school and become vulnerable and needy. Most of the time, these teenage girls have no one to turn to. Elizabeth offers them support, counsel and hope.. More
Edna Cheretei and Daniel Loktari have made their home a rescue centre for children in a community faced with rampant cases of female genital mutilation, early marriages and violence resulting from cattle rustling and tribal frictions. More
Christine Tanguli. a former high school teacher and UN employee, now runs two orphanages and a high school for disadvantaged kids. She also houses more than 20-orphaned kids in her own house. More
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Christopher Mulwa, helps and counsels children forced into early marriages. He also helps youth open small businesses so they don't have to “fish for sex” to survive. More
Angeline Obutu is a widow and a mother of five children--and she runs a charity home for over 400 HIV infected families. More
Ali Nur Hassan is the Chief of Nakuru town. But he is a Chief with a difference, who goes well beyond his normal duties in order to serve his people. More
Abdikalif Abdiqafar Adan pioneered the eradication of malaria, infant mortality rate, HIV/AIDS, and distribution of nets to destitute in the coastal region. More
Abdikadir Aden Hassan (Garrisa)
Abdikadir Aden Hassan is a young Kenya environmentalist and a peace Ambassador. At the age of 26 years he has made a significant contribution to the protection and sustainable management of the environment.
He is a young leader who has exhibited a big change for his society with a big...
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Anthony Kiarie (Meru)
Antony embarked on a journey in search of life contentment and the journey led him to Korogocho slum in Nairobi in Compassionate Hands for Disabled children.
He was touched by the pathetic situation in which the disabled children were living in Korogocho slums and he immediately talked...
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Chief Francis Kariuki (Nakuru)
Chief Kariuki uses social media in his administrative work and for crime prevention. Now commonly known as ‘The Tweeting Chief’, Kariuki has over 36,500 followers on Twitter, and his numbers continue to grow. Chief Francis Kariuki, who has been in charge of Lanet Umoja location in North...
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David Kuria (Nakuru)
David Kuria has for a long period of time been in involved in human rights activism. Mr Kuria's crusade for human rights started way back in 1992 when the country was fighting for multi party democracy. He at one time went on hunger strike at the Christ The King Cathedral, Nakuru for two weeks...
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David Ndegwa Kingori (Nakuru)
With selfless passion, David has demonstrated his strong commitment to realizing a green environment. He started up the initiative back in the year 2004, using his own funds to buy and plant tree seedlings as well as finance the related logistics. After years of individual effort, he mobilized...
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Elizabeth Jerotich Kipsang
Elizabeth Jerotich Kipsang has done a lot in a place where women are considered in little regard. When one of her neighbours was about to be killed by her violent husband, Elizabeth was the only person who had the courage to highly risk her life and go to that home and save the life of the wife....
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Florence Kang'ai (Eldoret)
Florence Kang’ai has a heart to give and support the needy regardless of where they come from. She is a mentor and a motivator to many young people who have lost hope and even those who are engaging in drugs and other immoral behaviours. She believes and understands the power of an educated...
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Francis Warui (Nandi South)
Francis Warui is the OCPD for Kobujoi in Nandi South. He has been of great help to the people of Nandi South by improving the security of the place which has been very much wanting. He has helped manage and reduce significantly the cattle rustling that have caused a lot of suffering to the...
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Geoffrey Kinuthia Chege (Nairobi)
Geoffrey Kinuthia Chege is 22 years old and at that tender age, he is already a very passionate young ambassador of positive change. He has been working to give hope to the hopeless. After high school, due to his passion to help the less fortunate, Geoffrey started visiting children homes to...
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George Kamau Kiiru (Ndaragwa - Nyahururu)
Despite having been born with a physical disability, George Kamau Kiiru has indeed proved to many that disability is not inability. For a very long time he worked as a forest officer- having to climb up the trees to prune them- in spite of his physical challenge. While in the forestry, he...
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Grace Kibuku (Nakuru)
In 1987, Grace Kibuku embarked on helping glue sniffing street children. She quitted her college studies to help these young people who were being subjected to commit crimes. This did not endear Grace to the thugs who were loosing their livelihood as a result of her efforts to rehabilitate the...
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Janet Kimoi Kipkalis (Kabarnet)
Janet has been actively giving her time and money to support the sick and the widowed by providing them with food, clothing, medicine as well as fundraising for students school fees.
Besides, she is committed to helping families become peaceful and have been offering her wisdom to assist...
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Joseph Kimaiyo Towett (Nakuru)
Joseph Kimaiyo Towett Initiated Ogiek Lands and livelihood program in 1988 and has kept the promise and the struggle to date. He led his community in filing and successfully prosecuting the first historic case leading to the historic landmark judgment of 17 March, 2014 and court decree on 7 May...
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Lilian Ndaro
For more than 10 years now, 82 year old Lilian Ndaro opened her very humble home in Subukia, Kenya for orphans, vulnerable and needy children. Many lives have been transformed through the hands of Lilian. Despite the fact that she is elderly, has health challenges and doesn’t have any source of...
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Linah Kiprop (Eldoret)
Linah Kiprop is a fighter and a mentor who has taken her battle, to help common and local citizens to achieve outstanding performance in their lives, even in some of the most difficult and forgotten areas to work in.
She has been mentoring and supporting many youths and women to fight...
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Mary Simalo Simat (Narok)
Mary Simat, out of her passion for her Maasai community, left her teaching career without any other pay job to champion for the rights of women and girls in her community. She selflessly embarked on helping to enlighten and empower women to stop harmful practices like FGM & early marriages...
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Meitamei Olol Dapash (Narok)
Meitamei Olol Dapash has served his community, the Maasai people of East Africa, through the past 30 years. Basically, he has spent his entire adult life and promoting their human rights, education, and the environmental conservation of Maasailand.
In particular, Meitamei has been on the...
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Moses Aran Oindo (Mombasa)
Moses Oindo is a young man committed and dedicated towards building peace in our country Kenya. To begin with, Moses have been working with young offenders at the Borstal Shimo La Tewa prison, a correctional facility where he has been engaging the juvenile criminals into meaningful activities...
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Noah Mmbwanga (Vihiga)
Noah is a member of county Assembly for Banja ward in Vihiga county and he is not just an ordinary MCA. He is committed to his work and improving the lives of people in his ward. He goes out of his way to make a difference in the lives of people by focusing on real issues affecting...
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Patrick Alfred Waluchio Ongwen (Nairobi)
Sacrificing his comfort and that of his family, Patrick Waluchio has supported over 18 young men and women from his own pocket to get education. Patrick goes back to his community, picks students who are bright and cannot afford to pay school fees and he personally takes them through secondary,...
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Thomas Okusi (Eldoret)
Thomas Okusi is a talented musician. Despite the fact that he never had an opportunity to complete his studies due to lack of school fees, Tom Okusi have risen to be a great support for his community in Eldoret. He is committed to supporting other people produce quality gospel music and form...
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Wangu Kanja (Nairobi)
Wangu Kanja survived rape and a carjacking in 2002 and has since dedicated her life to promoting awareness and encouraging empowerment and healing for survivors of sexual violence. She now speaks about her experience openly and teaches others how to avoid risk situations.
Wangu has been...
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Zablon Muraya Kuria (Nakuru)
Zablon Kuria is the founder and director of Rockbridge Ministries. Through this great endeavor, He has been able to establish Tumaini Mission centre in partnership with PCEA Nakuru West Shabab church. The mission centre houses over 450 children and young adults. Most of these are either orphaned...
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