Young Achiever

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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Introducing Bilha Joy Awuor, a beacon of hope and positivity in her community! As a community development worker, period advocate, Sunday school teacher, and first runner-up humanitarian, Bilha has dedicated over 6 years to serving her community with unwavering passion and dedication. Bilha is the epitome of a young achiever, making a tangible difference in the lives of those around her.

She is the driving force behind Precious Lives Ministries (PLM), a youth-led initiative based in Narok. PLM takes a holistic approach to empower communities by addressing both the seen and unseen elements of menstrual hygiene. At PLM, Bilha and her team firmly believe that ending period poverty is a crucial step towards building communities where every individual can thrive and reach their full potential. Join Bilha and Precious Lives Ministries on their mission to catalyze community empowerment and shape lives for a brighter future!

Introducing Sheryl Mboya, a powerhouse of positive change and advocacy! From her roots in Kajiado, Kenya, Sheryl’s journey began at the age of 8, witnessing injustices faced by children, from Female Genital Mutilation to Early Child Brides. As the former Speaker of the Kajiado Children’s Assembly and Secretary to the Cabinet at the Kenya Children Assembly, Sheryl’s early involvement fueled her passion for advocacy. She actively championed for the inclusivity of intersex children and contributed to the development of the Kenya Children Act, 2022.

Six years ago, Sheryl’s commitment to environmentalism merged with her advocacy, leading her to address societal and climatic injustices. As an innovator, she developed transformative initiatives like the Menstrual Hygiene Project, “Period!”, which empowers women and girls with dignity and confidence. Through this project, Sheryl has raised awareness about menstrual health and provided access to eco-friendly menstrual products, making a tangible impact on countless lives. But her advocacy doesn’t stop there. Sheryl’s work extends to education, healthcare, and protecting women and children from exploitation. She believes in the power of education as a catalyst for change and actively promotes initiatives for equal educational opportunities for all.