A Kenyan social entrepreneur, Kennedy Odede, is the laureate of the 2025 United Nations Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela Prize.
Odede, founder and chief executive officer of Shining Hope for Communities (SHOFCO), a Kenyan grassroots organisation providing services to urban slums, was recognised on Wednesday, May 28, 2025, for his contribution to Kenyan society, especially in slum areas.
His journey began with a small act: saving his meagre factory earnings to buy a soccer ball and bring his community together. This gave birth to SHOFCO, which now operates in 68 locations across Kenya, empowering local groups and delivering vital services to over 2.4 million people every year.
Odede is also a New York Times bestselling co-author and holds roles with USAID, the World Economic Forum, the Obama Foundation, and the Clinton Global Initiative.
SHOFCO was also recognised with the UN-Habitat Scroll of Honour award in 2021.
Speaking after being feted, Odede noted that the award was a testament of his resolve to transform communities.
“I am so humbled. This award is not about me — it is about the power of communities, and the trust put in local leadership,” Odede stated.
“Nelson Mandela taught us that dignity and justice begin from the ground up. This recognition affirms what we believe at SHOFCO: the answers to poverty and inequality already exist within the people most affected,” he added.
Odede is expected to receive his award on July 18, 2025, with UN Secretary-General António Guterres handing over the prize alongside the President of the seventy-ninth session of the General Assembly, Philemon Yang, as part of the annual commemoration marking Nelson Mandela International Day.
Brenda Reynolds
Odede was feted alongside Brenda Reynolds, a social worker of Saulteaux heritage supporting the health and well-being of Indigenous communities in Canada.
She is known for her development of the Indian Residential School Resolution Health Support programme under the Indian Residential Settlement Agreement and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
“I speak two languages, yet words fail to express my deep gratitude and surprise at receiving the UN Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela Prize. I am truly humbled. Mandela, a figure I’ve long admired for his work in reconciliation and against apartheid, recognised the parallels between his homeland and the struggles of Indigenous peoples. I have always felt a deep kinship with him,” she stated after learning of the win.
Odede and Reynolds will receive a glass trophy engraved with a quote from Nelson Mandela:“What counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived. It is what difference we have made to the lives of others.”
