I had the unique opportunity to speak to Kennedy Odede, co-founder and CEO of the grassroots organization Shining Hope for Communities, or SHOFCO. Odede was born and raised in the Kenyan slums. He was inspired by the writings of Dr. Martin Luther King and aspired to use his nonviolent methodology to unite and uplift his community. Odede later received his undergraduate degree at Wesleyan University, making him the first to graduate from an American liberal arts institution from Kibera. Odede founded SHOFCO shortly after graduating. In 2010, Odede was awarded the Echoing Green Fellowship. In 2014, Odede was named to the Forbes 30 under 30 list for top Social Entrepreneurs. He is a member of the Clinton Global Initiative. Odede is a Young Global Leader at the World Economic Forum and an Obama Foundation Africa Leader. His book Find Me Unafraid: Love, Loss, and Hope in African Slum is a New York Times Bestseller.
In addition to his numerous successes, Odede personally inspires me because of his humbleness, kindness, and simplistic view despite his many hardships. I met Odede through a zoom meeting, which he took from a rural village in Africa.
Below is a summary of our conversation.
Walk me through your process with SHOFCO: How did it start? How did it develop over time? How did your ambitions and goals change as it progressed?
As I matured, I was initially very angry at the world for permitting the conditions caused by poverty within my neighborhood compared to upper class precincts in my district. However, reading about Dr. Martin Luther King Junior’s work gave me hope for my community. I believe that hope is essential to human beings, and that having no hope is the equivalent to not having a meaningful life. Through MLK’s teachings, I found a purpose and used my anger to fuel my passion for creating positive change within my community.
Growing up, I worked in a factory where I earned a dollar a day. I saved up and bought a soccer ball, which I used to host soccer games in order to bring my community together. My plan was to have members of the community unify for the games, and then meet afterwards. Just as MLK used religion to congregate with his community, I used my community’s love for soccer to bring everyone together, where I gradually began to introduce my idea for SHOFCO.
My goals for SHOFCO changed when Jessica Posner, now my wife, became involved. I was initially skeptical of foreigners and hesitant to have Jessica visit to teach theatre at a local school. Jessica changed SHOFCO by providing sustainable structure to our organization and gave us a global perspective.
What are your thoughts on the white savior trope? How do you know who is sincere and invested, and who is a tourist?
An important lesson is that birth is luck. One cannot choose their family, community, nationality, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and so on. We must acknowledge this randomness and express empathy towards strangers’ lives, as they had as much control over the circumstances they were born into as we did. Know that life is truly a gift, and use the gifts you have been given to uplift others and create positive change. Recognize that this inequality stems from structural injustice, and strive to create sustainable change within that system. When a stranger visits the slums, they must come with a humble attitude and realize that they are being graciously accepted into a new community and a new way of life. Ask yourself: What can I do? Am I helping in a dignified manner?
What advice would you give to young individuals around the world that are trying to spur change in their communities?
Small steps are not only important, but impactful. Create small goals or tasks you can accomplish along the way. In fact, starting with your own actions and mannerisms is key. For example, you can make sure you are practicing conscious usage and not producing excessive waste from your daily life. Use hope to guide your ambitions, and use your gifts to work towards creating a better world for all.
My conversation with Odede was truly a gift. Upon meeting Odede, he greeted me with an infectious smile and radiated warmth and kindness. In a world full of conflict, turmoil, and darkness, he is a beacon of hope and perseverance.
Comments