Carolina for Kibera honored in Oklahoma with 2008 Reflections of Hope Award
| April 04, 2008 | |
| Many in the School of Public Health community are familiar with the efforts of Carolina for Kibera (CFK). Alumni of our School are among the CFK leaders, and the organization is an affiliated program of the UNC Center for Global Initiatives.
Photo, young boys at CFK in Kibera
The Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum will honor Carolina for Kibera, Inc., as the recipient of the 2008 Reflections of Hope Award. The award, established in 2005 as part of the 10th anniversary commemoration of the Oklahoma City bombing, honors a living person or group whose extraordinary work has significantly impacted a community, state or nation. It also exemplifies that hope not only survives but also thrives in the wake of political violence. This prestigious international award includes a $25,000 honorarium, which the organization can use to further develop programming and develop young leaders in Kibera and across Kenya. Carolina for Kibera, its founder U.S. Marine Captain Rye Barcott and Executive Director Salim Mohamed, from Kenya, will be honored at a reception and dinner on April 19 in Oklahoma City. The keynote speaker for the event will be ABC anchor Bob Woodruff, who was seriously injured while imbedded with American troops in Iraq. “Carolina for Kibera focuses on helping the people of Kibera by giving them the tools and the resources to help themselves. The development of sports programs, centers for girls and medical clinics in one of the poorest districts in Kenya gives the citizens of that community great hope for their future,” said Kari Watkins, Oklahoma City National Memorial executive director. “The programs train Kenyans to take action to change their own circumstances and make the future of their neighborhoods much brighter for generations to come.” Established in 2001, CFK is an international, nongovernmental organization based in the Kibera slum of Nairobi, Kenya. In the United States, it is a 501(c)(3) charitable corporation and an affiliated program of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Center for Global Initiatives. Run by Kenyans and advised by American and Kenyan volunteers, the organization promotes youth leadership and ethnic and gender cooperation in Kibera through sports, young women’s empowerment, and community development. Additionally, CFK works to improve basic health care, sanitation, and education in Kibera. Serving as a model for holistic, community-based urban development worldwide, CFK has helped grassroots organizations develop youth-based programs in six other nations and dozens of communities in Kenya. Kibera, east Africa’s largest slum, is a microcosm of many of the world’s most vexing issues – poverty, poor healthcare, severe water shortage, the spread of HIV infection, and lack of women’s rights. More than 700,000 people, representing 42 African tribes, live in a 630-acre area (about 2.5 square kilometers) outside of Nairobi, Kenya. It is one of the most densely populated urban settlements in the world. The vast majority of Kibera’s residents live in abject poverty with few government services. Half of the population of Kibera is under the age of 15. At least one-half of Kibera’s children do not graduate from secondary school. Most recently, The Kibera slum of Nairobi has been one of the places most adversely affected by the ethnic violence gripping the country following the disputed presidential elections. CFK staff and volunteers have reached out to citizens to ease tensions and bring the community back together. Named a TIME Magazine and Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation “Hero of Global Health,” CFK envisions a world where the poor have a voice in their futures and opportunities for healthy growth. The organization is rooted in the conviction that solutions to problems involving poverty are possible only if those affected by it drive development. Concerned outsiders can help by mobilizing communities, advising, networking, and providing resources. Ultimately, however, the community possesses the knowledge and motivation that are necessary to solve its own problems. The Reflections of Hope Award was created by the Oklahoma City National Memorial Foundation to recognize those who find and, by their actions, exemplify hope in the midst of tragedy, respond selflessly and give of themselves to improve the lives of others. The Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum was created to honor “those who were killed, those who survived and those changed forever” by the 1995 bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City. The Memorial and Museum are dedicated to educating visitors about the impact of violence, informing about events surrounding the bombing, and inspiring hope and healing through lessons learned by those affected. # # # Carolina for Kibera website: http://cfk.unc.edu Oklahoma City National Memorial and Museum contact: Nancy Coggins, (405) 235-3313 or (405) 760-9053, or nc@oklahomacitynationalmemorial.org School of Public Health contact: Ramona DuBose, director of communications, (919) 966-7467 or ramona_dubose@unc.edu |
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