Shining Hope for Communities’ Work Highlighted

NBC’s Rock Center with Brian Williams highlighted the work of Kennedy Odede ’12 and Jessica Posner ’09 in the Nairobi, Kenya slum of Kibera. Their organization, Shining Hope for Communities, founded the tuition-free Kibera School for Girls, offering young girls a safe haven and an opportunity to escape crushing poverty, malnutrition and disease. In addition, correspondant Chelsea Clinton reported: “The school has become a lifeline for many in Kibera. Unemployed mothers run a sewing cooperative in an empty classroom. The school’s health clinic and water tower help 6,000 families a day.”

Odede grew up in Kibera, and graduated from Wesleyan last year. He and Posner married in June 2012.