It’s been said that humans are better able to make sense of a disaster/humanitarian crisis when they come together collectively and help others in their community. Besides, setting the precedence where people help serves as an example to others – thus encouraging them to take up the mantle to help many more in return.
This also doesn’t matter how big or how small, as long as it comes from the heart and intending to genuinely help those around you. It’s all about Going Beyond.
With the Africa Digital Influencer Awards (ADIA) – the first online influencer awards ever held in Africa just around the corner, its especially important for us to think of such leaders not just as people who dived into a field of helping others, but as influencers of social change who can also inspire others to go beyond the norm even in their daily lives.
Knowing how tough this year has been, knowing someone who's gone above & beyond to help others has been a breath of fresh air & I've already voted for two of those people. Click https://t.co/7YH5JhIJSc to vote for the influencer of your choice #LetsGoBeyond #TwendeTukiuke #ADIA20 pic.twitter.com/qG8Tx1LWc9
— Kenyan Collective 🇰🇪 (@KenCollective) December 14, 2020
In line with Safaricom’s Let’s Go Beyond, the telco will sponsor the Go Beyond Influencer of the Year category in the AIDA Awards 2020 as part of their 20 year celebrations. The category will award an individual who has gone above and beyond to use their platform for good.
The nominees in the Go Beyond Influencer of the Year category are:
1) Patricia Okello
2) Wawira Njiru
3) Humphrey Kayange
4) Elsa Majimbo
5) Crazy Kennar
6) Francis Amonde
Doing all it takes for their communities
Amid such trying times, this is exactly what I see when I see leaders like Humphrey Kayange and Wawira Njiru, both of very different fields and interests, working to see their communities better, in their special way and turning the ordinary into extraordinary everyday.
Wawira Njiru
We can all agree that Wawira is an angel in disguise, right?
Named a nutrition champion, Wawira noticed that children were often the most affected by poverty. Throughout Kenya, more than 29% of children in rural areas and 20% in urban areas suffer from malnutrition, which often causes stunting, or lifelong physical and mental deficiencies. More than 23 million Kenyan children go to school hungry every day and 51% of the country is food insecure.
She realized that a lack of food and nutrition made learning in the classroom difficult, which creates a profoundly unequal education system, and that addressing this gap could vastly improve educational outcomes.
Now Njiru is working to end the disparities between the different worlds through Food for Education, the simply named school lunch organization that provides subsidized and highly nutritious meals to schools around the country.
With a team of over 60 people, they are currently feeding 20 schools hot, nutritious meals as of November even amid a pandemic.
Humphrey Kayange
I first saw Humphrey Kayange, also known as ‘Tall’ in rugby circles at a rugby game a couple of years ago. I wasn’t as conversant with how the matches worked, how points were calculated, or even how teams celebrated when they scored, but I was mesmerized by how he beautifully handled the games he was involved in.
From first playing at Ulinzi RFC to his home club Mwamba RFC to rightfully enjoying a 12-year professional rugby career that culminated in him being a decorated 2016 Olympian, an honorary of the Order of the Golden Warrior awarded by H.E. President Kibaki in 2012 and above all, being a highly celebrated athlete till this day – Humphrey set the bar high both in the field and in the classroom.
But what intrigues me more is even when he retired from professional rugby, he kept going beyond – not just for himself, but for those around him
With over 10 years’ work experience in organic chemistry and currently serving as a Principal Research Analyst at the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS), he also currently serves as the Chairman of Athlete’s Commission at the National Olympic Committee of Kenya (NOCK) and was newly appointed as a board member of the Kenya Academy of Sports, influencing policy and practice of the sports sector in Kenya and globally.
Above all, he went beyond and co-founded the Good Kenyan Foundation. Established in 2017, Good Kenyan is an organization that aims to mentor, empower, and equip high school graduates through a four-month program that cultivates marketable job skills and career development plans into an actionable self-driven future. With life skills such as effective communication, personal branding, good citizenry, critical thinking, and others, Humphrey along with the Good Kenyan team hope to instill values that help youth to Go Beyond.
Before founding Good Kenyan, Humphrey had also invested significantly in coaching and mentoring up and coming rugby players and is passionate about youth accessing opportunities to expand their horizons through sports. At Good Kenyan, he provides financial management, Leadership support, ensuring curriculums are running and the mentorship program is well undertaken.
With both Humphrey and Wawira, we see stories of influencers in different fields showing immense resilience to see their communities better every single day. Isn’t that the spirit of #TwendeTukiuke?
To vote for your favorite influencer, go to adia.africa/vote. Voting closes on Wednesday, 16th December 2020.
