Shining Hope for Communities (Shofco) is set to expand
its development initiatives in Machakos County after rolling out gender programs,
Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) scholarships, and community
organizing platforms.
Speaking at Kenyatta Stadium in Machakos on Friday
where he presided over Shofco Urban Network (SUN) county elections, Shofco
Founder and CEO Dr. Kennedy Odede said there is a need to sponsor more students,
especially girls who dropped out of school due to school fees or early
pregnancy.
“Teen mothers and girls from underprivileged
backgrounds face significant barriers to success. Offering them scholarships
ensures they have the tools and opportunities to rise above these challenges
and fulfil their potential.
“At Shofco, we are looking to sponsor 11,000 girls
across the country and Machakos is part and parcel of this initiative,” Dr.
Odede said while addressing over 6000 SUN members at the stadium.
The Shofco boss said his organization is committed to
educating the future generation of women leaders who will bring change to their
communities.
“Women are very unique human beings. When I was a
small boy, I used to attend a merry-go-round that my mother was part of and I
could hear them talking about improving the lives of their children.
“Indeed when you educate a girl, you educate a whole
community and I am committed to do that,” he stated.
Shofco also sponsors 300 TVET students in the county which consists of both men and women who are doing various technical courses.
“We have not left our boys behind. We are sponsoring
them in colleges. They will also be assisted to get internships and jobs once
they complete their education.
“Those who are interested in doing business will be
supported with grants or loans from our Shofco Sacco,” Dr. Odede added.
The Shofco founder also revealed a plan to build a
community centre in Machakos to help in offering various empowering programs
which include a library, community hall and various women's programs.
Shofco has over 50,000 SUN members in Machakos County.
The SUN election exercise was attended by various
dignitaries among them former Makueni Governor Prof. Kivuta Kibwana and several
Machakos MCAs and executive members.
Prof. Kibwana lauded SHOFCO’s development initiatives
saying they are a game changer as far as uplifting the lives of those at the
bottom of the economic pyramid is concerned.
“Shofco has become a model for other NGOs globally
because of their community-led empowerment approach.
“People from all over the world come to see how Shofco
is implementing its programs at the grassroots level where it matters the most,”
Kibwana said.
The former county boss said he admires how Shofco has
managed to organize communities and suggested the same should be applied in
running government programs.
“SHOFCO has done wonders. Today, we are witnessing the election of
community leaders who will lead change in their areas. This is unique and
should be emulated by other leaders, especially in the private sector.
“Leaders who have been elected today know what needs
to be done in their areas and they are the best people to push for the projects
to be done either by the government or the private sector,” the former governor
said.
SUN is a grassroots movement that brings together
individuals and households through social groups and is the key pillar of the
organisation that ensures community-driven change is achieved.
Under SUN, community members are given a chance to
elect their leaders who can represent them from the ward to the national level.
SUN has over four million members across Kenya.
SUN has worked closely with the slum population in bringing change to the community through the provision of critical services such as education, health, counselling and food distribution while assisting the local administration in issues such as addressing Gender-Based Violence (GBV), Nyumba Kumi Initiative, National Census and Covid-19 pandemic.
