Celebration of the 2025 UN Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela…

Mr. Odede is the first Kenyan to receive this prestigious award and shared the 2025 Prize with Ms. Brenda Reynolds, a social worker of Saulteaux heritage in Canada, who has made a lasting impact on the health and well-being of Indigenous communities.

Mr. Odede's organization, Shining Hope for Communities (SHOFCO), a renowned Kenyan grassroots organization provides critical services to urban informal settlements, reaches over 2.5 million

This follows the presentation of this award on 18 July, International Mandela Day, by UN Secretary-General António Guterres and the President of the 79th session of the General Assembly, Philémon Yang, to the two laureates at a ceremony held at the UN Headquarters in New York.

Key speakers:

• Mrs. Zainab Hawa Bangura - Director-General, United Nations Office at Nairobi (UNON)
• Kennedy Odede- Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Shining Hope for Communities (SHOFCO)
• Amb. Johannes Mahlangu - South African High Commissioner

Please bring your National ID and Press card

Background

The Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela Prize was established by General Assembly resolution 68/275 in 2014 and is governed by resolution 69/269 of 2015. It is awarded once every five years to two individuals, one female and one male from different geographic regions, in recognition of their exceptional contribution to humanity.