Former US President Bill Clinton recognised Kenya’s social entrepreneur Kennedy Odede for his contribution to improve lives.
Clinton who opened the Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) in New York on Monday, September 19 introduced Odede as a long-time family friend and a true embodiment of the best of CGI amid cheers from the crowd.
“Pleasure to introduce someone who truly embodies the best of CGI. His work has improved lives in the most impoverished communities on earth.
A long-time friend of our family, Kennedy Odede, founder and CEO for Shining Hope for Communities has made a huge difference from almost the beginning of his very young life and he is here to help us kick this off,” Clinton Stated.
Kennedy Odede started off by telling a story on how the world urban population is projected to hit 6 billion. He further pointed out Kenya as one of the countries with emerging economies will have to endure the problem of poverty.
Odede who was born and grew up in the slums of Kibra, one of the largest slums in Africa, surrounded by devastating poverty, revealed that if action is taken together there will be no poverty in Urban population.
The Founder of Shining Hope for Communities was appointed by the US Government to sit on the USAID advisory board where he will help in providing collective effort to address the most pressing problems facing the world today.
He narrated how he got an opportunity to meet the former US President when he was a community leader 15 years ago. The President of the US asked him what he wanted to do for him
“15 years ago, I got an opportunity to meet President Bill Clinton and he asked me what he could do for me. He was putting trust in my hands as a community leader,”
Further Odede revealed how the former US president made him to be part of the Clinton Global Initiative.
“He was listening to me, and I requested him to allow me to be part of the Clinton Global Initiative because I knew at that point that my ambition to create an urban poor movement was not something I could do alone. It would take a collective action,”
Additionally, during the meeting, Odede called the Initiative to fund grassroot organizations. He also praised locals for having the drive to push local agenda and effective leadership in the society.
