Young Achiever

Amina Khalid Ahmed is a 26-year-old award-winning self-taught baker and entrepreneur with over a decade of experience in the baking industry. She is the Founder and CEO of Minat Bakery, a fast-growing establishment renowned for producing and selling some of the finest cakes.

Widely known as Minat, she is also the proprietor of Minat Cake Zone Academy, a baking school that equips both aspiring and professional bakers with essential marketplace knowledge and skills. Through her academy, she has successfully trained and graduated over 350 students.

Her remarkable expertise and impact in the industry have earned her over 10 prestigious awards (listed below), as well as widespread recognition in major national media outlets, including Citizen TV, KTN, Daily Nation, and The Star Newspaper.

Beyond business, Amina is deeply committed to giving back to the Mombasa community, actively participating in humanitarian programs that uplift and empower others.

Awards & Recognitions

1. Finalist – Forbes Africa 30 Under 30 (2021)
2. Kayana Female MSME Award – Community Impact Category (2024)
3. Best Small Business Award – KNCCI (2023)
4. Baker of the Year Award (2022)
5. Best Cake Tasting Award (2021) – Courtesy of Mombasa Maize Millers
6. 100 Most Influential Kenyan Muslims
7. Award of Excellence – Tanzania International Model United Nations (TIMUN)
8. 50 Most Influential Muslim CEOs in Kenya (2025)
9. Attempted Guinness World Record – Frosting 74 Cupcakes in 1 Minute
10. Trufoods Baker Challenge Cake Competition Semi-Finalist – Nairobi

Amina Khalid continues to inspire and revolutionize the baking industry in Kenya and beyond, proving that passion, resilience, and innovation can turn dreams into reality.

My name is Pauline Gathigia, and I am deeply passionate about transforming lives and creating a lasting impact on society. My heart beats for vulnerable children, particularly those who have been forced to call the streets their home. I firmly believe that every child deserves a chance to grow in a safe, nurturing environment where they can dream, hope, and thrive.

My Mission: Rescuing and Restoring Lives

I run an organization dedicated to rescuing and restoring the lives of street children by providing them with the fundamental necessities of life—food, clothing, shelter, and medical care. However, my mission extends far beyond merely meeting their physical needs. True transformation requires a holistic approach, one that nurtures not just the body, but also the mind, heart, and spirit.

Restoring Hope, Dignity, and a Sense of Belonging

For me, helping these children means more than just providing them with basic needs. It means restoring their dignity, rekindling their hope, and giving them a sense of belonging. I want them to know that they are valued, loved, and worthy of a better future. Through education, life skills development, and emotional support, I strive to empower them to reintegrate into society with confidence and purpose.

Addressing the Root Causes of Homelessness

One of my greatest passions is tackling the root causes of homelessness and vulnerability. I work to understand and address the challenges that push children onto the streets, including poverty, neglect, abuse, and lack of education. By working closely with communities, families, and institutions, I strive to break this cycle and create sustainable, long-term solutions that foster real change.

My Commitment to Community Transformation

Beyond my organization, I am committed to building a society where every child has an equal opportunity to succeed, regardless of their background. My journey is one of faith, compassion, and action—one that calls me to dedicate my resources, time, and energy to be a voice for the voiceless and a beacon of hope for the hopeless.

A Vision for Change and a Heart for Action

I believe that change begins with action, and action begins with a heart that truly cares. My purpose is to uplift, inspire, and transform lives, and I will continue to walk this path with unwavering dedication and love.

Aileen Florence Akinyi is a 12-year-old changemaker from Kisumu County and a Grade 7 student at Muhoroni Furaha Junior School. She is the CEO of Destiny Helpers Charity Foundation, a Girl Child Ambassador, Advocate for Mashinani Children, Environmentalist, Children’s Rights Activist, and Little Miss Humanity Kenya.

Destiny Helpers Charity Foundation is a child-centered and led organization dedicated to supporting vulnerable Mashinani communities, particularly girls, women, and widows. The foundation helps fight period shame and poverty by donating dignity packs at the start of every academic term, reducing school dropouts, preventing early pregnancies, and boosting girls’ self-esteem. Additionally, the foundation empowers widows by supporting them with small businesses for sustainable livelihoods.

Aileen is a firm believer in positive change, proving that age, status, or gender should never be a barrier to making a difference in society.

Rita Awesti John is the Executive Director at Shark Swimming Club, an Environmentalist, Youth Leader, and Health Advocate dedicated to fostering positive change in Mombasa.

Through mentorship programs focused on behavioral change, drug and substance abuse prevention, and Preventing/Countering Violent Extremism (P/CVE), they empower young people to make informed choices. By integrating swimming, environmental conservation, and youth empowerment initiatives, they promote health, safety, and sustainable community development

A journalist by profession and an Anti-Drug Abuse Champion by passion, Laura Maghuwa Mwaila has over five years of experience in combating substance and drug abuse. In recognition of these efforts, they received an award in 2023 for their commitment to curbing substance abuse.

As the Founder of Datuzen Solution Centre in Mwatate, Taita Taveta County, they lead initiatives focused on preventive counseling sessions for teenagers in primary and secondary schools, equipping young people with the knowledge and support needed to make informed choices and lead healthier lives.

Ann Gacheke #ZuriAwards 2023 Young Achiever Honoree is the founder of Neema G.B.V Rescue Centre where they rescue Children who are sexually abused, abandoned and orphans.They fight for their justice,medical treatment ,counseling and take them back to school.So far she has 44 children under her care, the youngest being 1year and 2 months, the oldest being 16 years old.

Babara Mula Omwayi #ZuriAwards 2023 Young Achiever Nominee is an accomplished sales and marketing executive with over 17 years’ experience in the marketing industry. She is the CEO of Spark Communication Limited, a fast growing marketing firm in East Africa. Babara is a result driven entrepreneur and marketing professional with a proven track record of planning, project management, developing and implementing integrated marketing campaigns. Spark Empower Mentorship Program targets young ladies enrolled in higher learning institutions(universities/colleges) aged between 20-25 years old. It focuses on mentoring 10 girls each year, through group sessions with key speakers in the industry. The number is limited to 10, for an effective and intimate one on one hand-held experience. The end goal for the program is to create “A Community of Influence” through which these 10 mentees will be required to influence 10 new ladies from the community to join the mentorship program and get mentored too.

Elizabeth Mwangi is the founder and director of Gwiji for Women, a tech startup in the gig economy that empowers low income women from the slums through a mobile app. Gwiji identifies, vets and trains these women before onboarding them on to their platform where they are exposed to a pool of readily available and well-paying cleaning jobs. Through Gwiji, these women have raised their incomes from less than $2 to an average on $10 a day, allowing them to provide for their children. For her impactful work, Elizabeth was named among Business Daily Top 40 Under 40 Women of 2023.

RESPEKT- REproductive and Sexual health Programme for Kenyan Teenagers is a youth-led, youth-run initiative based in Denmark and Kenya that aims to advocate for Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) on behalf of the Kenyan youth. The organization seeks to contribute to the voice of change by working with key stakeholders in health and education through creating social change. Our programs are curated through a peer-to-peer model aimed at promoting access to information and services in Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) for young people. Marie-Claire Wangari, is a young medical doctor and one of the founders of RESPEKT. Since 2015, she has actively been involved in running youth-led, volunteer-based initiatives and organizations in the healthcare arena at a national, regional and international level that involve multi-cultural knowledge exchange, youth and resource mobilization, project design and Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning (MEAL). Furthermore, she has been engaged in global health advocacy since 2013 where she primarily advocates for meaningful youth engagement in the attainment of Universal Health Coverage using a human rights approach.Her past experience includes working in a volunteer capacity at the Medical Students Associations of Kenya (MSAKE), the International Federation of Medical Students Associations (IFMSA) and the International Student Surgical Network (InciSioN). In all these organisations, she was pivotal in spearheading various policies, frameworks and publications. Currently, she is an executive board member and youth hub coordinator of the African Forum for Primary Care (AfroPHC) and colead on the WHO related policies on COVID-19/Pandemic Preparedness in the World Medical Association, Junior Doctors Network WHO Working Group.In addition, she holds a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBChB) from the University of Nairobi. 

Susan Wavinya Wairimu Young Achievers Nominee # ZuriAwards 2021 is the Founder Inspire Teenagers Foundation, which aims at educating and mentoring vulnerable teenagers and young mothers on matters sexual and reproductive health, life skills, talents, skills and leadership development and advocates for proper Menstrual Hygiene Management and ensure that every girl has access to sanitary products and the right information about their menstruation.

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