First Lady H.E. Margaret Kenyatta Commissions Shofco’s Kibera School For Girls

First Lady Margaret Kenyatta officially commissioned Shining Hope for Communities’ (SHOFCO) Kibera School for Girls new building.

After witnessing the positive impact SHOFCO’s projects in Kibera have to the community, the First Lady chose to become a member of the organization making her officially SHOFCO’s newest member. In addition, the First Lady donated a Beyond Zero Mobile Clinic and Laboratory to the organisation enabling them to serve more community members.

SHOFCO transforms urban poverty to urban promise by providing critical services, empowerment platforms and by educating the next generation of leaders.  SHOFCO serves over 220,000 urban slum dwellers in Kibera, Mathare, Mukuru and Bangladesh (Mombasa).

This approach invites both genders to be part of the solution and builds a community invested in its own future.

The First Lady applauded the Shining Hope for Communities Organisation SHOFCO for their selfless service and commitment to community development. “I have seen first-hand how your work with the urban communities has borne fruit” she added.

Her Excellency the First Lady, Margaret Kenyatta, together with the US Ambassador to Kenya, H.E Robert Godec, take a tour of Kibera slums, led by SHOFCO CEO & Founder, Kennedy Odede (right) and SHOFCO Co-Founder Jessica Posner-Odede (second right).

Kennedy Odede, SHOFCO CEO noted that the school has a student ratio of 1:10 enabling the teachers give students personalized learning that has seen them rank within the top 3 schools in the district on their Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) exams.

“SHOFCO believes that our girls will be the future leaders of Kenya, and we invest early in their long-term leadership capacity.  SHOFCO believes that there is great potential in the urban slums and that this can be unleashed with a holistic approach” added Mr. Odede.

UNICEF notes that closing the gender gap in education adds half a percent to a country’s per capita gross national product – benefits that are shared by boys and men. By focusing on girls and women, innovative businesses and organizations can spur economic progress, expand markets, and improve health and education outcomes for everyone.

The Kibera School for Girls was launched in 2009 and it currently has over 320 students at the school. SHOFCO specifically targets their leadership skills as these girls are the most marginalized, and present the most significant opportunity to leverage investment in change.