Women From Kenya

"She represented the power of ordinary citizens to confront oppressive power. Her story is not just history; it is a lesson in civic courage for every generation."

"Joyce Mbui was a symbol of fearless dedication to human rights and democracy in Kenya. Her sacrifice at Freedom Corner remains a pivotal moment in the nation's struggle for political pluralism."

"Even when there are no resources, we cannot give up on our people. We use our voice, our hands, and our hearts to make a difference."

"She was one of the brave women who stood with me at Freedom Corner. Her courage was a source of strength for all of us during that difficult time."

"Catherine was a pillar in this community. Her work in public health and social justice brought tangible change and saved countless lives."

"The health of a mother is the foundation of the entire family. When you save a mother, you save a whole community."

"Change does not start in big offices; it starts at the grassroots, with the people. We must be the change we want to see in our own neighborhoods."

"The world has learned the hard way that no one entity, including governments or the UN, can be expected to solve global crises alone. And these ongoing crises have also taught us that businesses cannot act independently of their environments."

"Sustainability can't be dealt with from a singular perspective...“Corporations are in a difficult space now, because sustainability is not just the job of one person or team. It’s across departments as well as in the leadership suite. There’s never been a time of more awareness of the issue, and companies are more likely to take on the challenge."

"In many ways Kenya is a model example of community social welfare. It's a community keyed to the extended family, in which each generation helps the other."

"A problem concerning a child is dealt with in the context of its family, never just on its own."

"Accountability constitutes an essential prerequisite for prevention and must be prioritized as such."

"Civilians should never pay the price of a conflict for which they bear no responsibility. Their most basic rights must be protected and preserved, and their humanitarian needs must be met."

"It is essential that all efforts are put in place for communities to co-exist peacefully and for all grievances to be addressed constructively and peacefully, as much in the region itself as in all the countries and regions where the ongoing hostilities continue having an impact."

"I see more young people equipping themselves with the right kind of information. This is critical as it allows us to both be impactful in our advocacy and to be taken seriously"

"To achieve prosperity, everyone has to have a seat at the table when decisions are made. And there is no more important voice as that of youth. From unemployment to poverty to child marriage to violence, just to mention a few, we are the ones on the ground grappling with these issues"

"We young people of today are innovative, enthusiastic, and solution-oriented. But for us to be better advocates, we also need support from all stakeholders to ensure quality education and healthcare, civic empowerment, and peace"

"Young people are the future of our communities and for us to thrive socially, economically, and politically, we have to ensure that everyone plays their role effectively. That is not possible without achieving gender equality"

"in defending women’s rights, men are actually preserving their own dignity"

"Gender equality is a prerequisite for making sustainable development a reality. As young people, we have to inform ourselves and passionately advocate and work to address the barriers hindering equality for all"

"without access to education, it is impossible to make gender equality a reality"

"Achieving gender equality is more than 50-50 representation; it is also about recognizing and respecting women’s rights as human rights, treating women with dignity, offering them equal opportunities to participate fully in the socioeconomic and political development of their individual countries"

"It is really important for us as young people to be better equipped with the right knowledge and network so that we can actively engage with policy makers and diverse stakeholders in the pursuit of gender quality"

"Young people have the task to mobilize and decentralize information on why achieving gender equality is a win overall for humanity. Technology has made it very easy for us to advocate both offline and online, share best practices and form synergies across continents"

"The recently adopted Sustainable Development Goals are actually our objectives as young people and we can no longer be sidelined in the discussions around execution and implementation because we are the ones who are going to live through them"

"Chance favors the prepared mind, and opportunity favors the bold. Because I have this opportunity and so many people would say it's luck, but I believe there is a very thin line between luck and opportunity. I feel like there’s also quite a number of people who say, Oh you know, I'm famous now, I'm untouchable. You always need to know where your head is at and I feel like you also need to carry yourself with some type of humility. Being in such a space should humble you — strangers go out of their way to support you, so you should be so incredibly grateful"

"When you're playing chess, it's all about the long game. And if your opponent is equally as clever as you, you have to be really clever in everything you do. Even if the brand or company approaching you makes it seem like it's something you need or something you want — that's when the end game comes in"

"It's big money, but I know that bigger opportunities are on the way and I'd rather wait than jump on what's coming in right now. So I'm thinking about the long term. It definitely requires patience and hard work, and being consistent and believing in yourself"

"The fact that people told me I couldn't do it — I think that's what drives me so much. Maybe it’s because I'm dark-skinned or I'm African, they say that I can't achieve certain things, and I'm like, okay, we're gonna see about that — and I just go for everything headstrong"

"People always laugh at the fact that I comment on my own videos, but I couldn’t say it more clearly: I’M MY BIGGEST FAN"

"They finally see the magnitude of what my career has become and where it’s going. Having them on board means a lot to me – even though they don’t think I’m funny"

"It meant a lot to me to see that many people embrace me for who I am. I wouldn’t be where I am today if I hadn’t embraced and loved myself."

"I have moments now and again when it sinks in. I value those, but I know there’s so much work to do and I’m only getting started"

"I initially made my videos to bring joy to myself. I would make them and I'd think, I am so funny! I would watch the videos and just laugh!"

"It’s almost like a dream, but I try not to live in that feeling as I have to work very hard to keep winning."

"Chess is a game of strategy that involves planning and anticipating your opponent’s moves. That’s how I approach my career"

"You always have to see the bigger picture. I stayed focused because it’s innate in me; it’s how I am, why I love chess, how I grew my social platform and why I’m in it for the long run"

"My manager and team approach my career strategy in the same way, so I’ve surrounded myself with like-minded people who think ahead and put my brand equity first"

"I wouldn't care if other people found them funny or not. Turns out, the videos have also brought other people joy, and I'm so happy they did"

"You need to be your number one fan! You can’t depend on anyone else to lift you or carry you to your dreams"

"I never got discouraged or felt shy, knowing that in Kenya we have more men as coaches and very few or no women coaches"

"Coaching is enjoyable and life changing. I think when you have more female coaches, the sport also changes positively. And we don’t all have to be [technical] coaches, there are so many spheres of coaching like mental, safeguarding"

"I see more women coming up, and it’s encouraging to see more federations enrolling the services of female coaches compared to my time when I was an athlete. There's a big difference in how we female coaches handle athletes. When you have more female coaches, you also have people who safeguard athletes from abuse. Sometimes we assume the roles of mothers, and when a mother sits down with their kids, it is sometimes easier for them to speak out"

"I am doing this because of the love I have for running and for the athletes. Running changed my life in a big way. I find great joy in nurturing and guiding young runners and in seeing them begin to excel in their careers as well"

"So when I transitioned out of that track, I moved into coaching immediately"

"I always felt like what he did to my life from hurdling to being a 800m star was amazing. And I also always wanted to start with an athlete from zero. By identifying a talent and giving an opportunity to young people to experience the sport"

"I definitely tend to always go with my gut and trust my intuition"

"In 2015, just before the World Championships in Beijing and I was honest with myself, I was getting old. I told myself, ‘Janeth, you do Beijing, and then it is time to step out of track"

"I don’t ever compromise myself, so every win feels that much more enjoyable"

"I was born in Kenya, but spent my early life in Manyara National Park, Tanzania, where my father was doing his pioneering research on the social behaviour of wild African elephants. We lived in a series of small rondavels on the banks of the Ndala river, at the foot of a forested escarpment with a waterfall cascading down the cliffs about 100 metres from Camp. I remember splashing in rock pools close to elephants drinking in the river, and bumping into buffalo as we made our way back to our rooms at night. There was a magical place called the Ground Water Forest into which the elephants would disappear for long periods, where natural springs from the Ngorongoro mountain catchment gushed out of the rocks – we’d often stop there to pick fresh watercress in a stream at the end of a day, or climb into the vines wishing we could get higher like the monkeys. We had two little orphaned genet cats and a banded mongoose as pets that my mother had raised by hand, which I think were probably the first great loves of my life.. Speaking of her background."