Shining Hope for Communities (SHOFCO) Founder and CEO, Dr. Kennedy Odede, has been honoured with the 2024 Outstanding Humanitarian Award by Top Charts Africa, a Nigeria-based organization.
Dr. Odede was recognized for his unwavering efforts in uplifting slum dwellers and vulnerable communities across 40 counties in Kenya.
“The Outstanding Humanitarian Award celebrates individuals or organizations that have made exceptional contributions to humanitarian causes,” Top Charts Africa announced during the award ceremony.
Dr. Odede emerged as the recipient from a pool of eight distinguished nominees from across Africa. Among them were Osita Obidike of Rebuildx Africa (Liberia), Gerald Abila of Barefoot Law (Uganda), and Otto Orondaam of Slum2School (Nigeria).
Others included Olamilekan Agbeleshela of Laycon Cares Foundation (Nigeria), Somachi Chris Asoluka of Tony Elumelu Foundation (Nigeria), William Troost-Ekong of Troost-Ekong Foundation (Nigeria), and Tunde Onakoya of Chess in Slums (Nigeria).
Expressing his gratitude, Dr. Odede stated, “I’m truly humbled to receive the 2024 Outstanding Humanitarian Award by Top Charts Africa in West Africa. I dedicate this award to the communities we serve across Kenya through SHOFCO.”
This recognition adds to Dr. Odede’s growing list of accolades. He was recently named one of TIME Magazine’s 100 Most Influential People of 2024 and previously received the 2023 TIME100 Impact Award Africa, Schwab Social Innovator of the Year 2022, and the East Africa Philanthropy Jury Award, among others.
Born and raised in Kibera, Nairobi, as the eldest of eight children, Dr. Odede experienced extreme poverty and violence firsthand. He became a street boy at the age of 10 and later joined a gang before turning his life around.
In 2004, with only a soccer ball and Ksh20, he founded SHOFCO to address the challenges faced by slum communities.
Today, SHOFCO has expanded its reach across 40 counties in Kenya, serving over six million people annually. The organization takes a holistic approach to community development, tackling multiple dimensions of poverty and inequality to create lasting change.
SHOFCO’s programs focus on education, healthcare, water and sanitation, economic empowerment, community mobilization, and youth development.
The organization operates Kibera School for Girls and Mathare School for Girls, which currently serve 580 students. Its economic empowerment initiatives, including entrepreneurship training, TVET programs, and job placements, have benefited over one million youth in the past two years.
Access to clean water remains one of SHOFCO’s landmark achievements. Reflecting on his childhood struggles, Dr. Odede recalled, “We used to walk several kilometers to fetch water, often falling sick due to contamination. The underground pipes would mix with raw sewage.”
This challenge led SHOFCO to introduce Kenya’s first aerial water piping system, ensuring safer and more reliable water access for over 250,000 residents in Kibera and Mathare slums through 53 water kiosks.
SHOFCO’s impact has gained international attention. In 2022, The Bridgespan Group, a leading nonprofit consulting firm, conducted a case study on SHOFCO’s community-driven model, showcasing it as a benchmark for global NGOs.
Beyond his leadership at SHOFCO, Dr. Odede serves as a Young Global Leader at the World Economic Forum, a USAID Advisory Board Member, and an Obama Foundation Africa Leader. He is also a recipient of the Mohammed Ali Humanitarian Award.
He is the co-author of the New York Times bestseller Find Me Unafraid: Love, Loss, and Hope in an African Slum. With this latest award, Dr. Odede continues to solidify his place among Africa’s most influential humanitarians, driving transformative change for millions in Kenya and beyond.
