For International Day of the Girl 2019, Memunatu Reader, Grace Adhiambo Orao joined us on a panel live from Kisumu County, Kenya.
Learn more about Grace in her interview with Memunatu Magazine!
bout me: I hail from a small village called Korando, near lake Victoria in Central Ward. I am the 7th born in a family of 9, and the [youngest] daughter. I study as a part time student at The University of Nairobi [and am] pursuing bachelor’s in Project Planning and Management. I am the founder of Women Volunteers for Peace, [a] community based organization and also [serve as a] mediation ambassador. I am very passionate about women, youth, peace and security. My hobbies include; reading, writing and making new friends.
MM: What do you do?
Through Women Volunteers for Peace […] I work with young people especially women by creating platforms for dialogue, enabling informed debate, and building the capacities of women and youth on how to meaningfully participate and openly discuss democratic, economic, and social issues and drive positive changes to boost their participation.
I currently work with 20 young women [in] 3 counties who are our peace ambassadors. We have also established peace clubs in over 20 primary schools, 25 secondary schools and 15 colleges/universities [….]
MM: What inspired you to start doing this?
Most of what I do is driven by passion and hope for a better community. Something that has also continued to inspire me has been […] interacting with other young women and girls of different backgrounds, religions, traditions, and beliefs and who given a platform have brilliant ideas on how they would want to impact their families and communities positively.
MM: What is your greatest accomplishment so far? What made it so great?
I have been working in the community [and] I have been honored to get an award by International Centre for Peace, Human Rights and Development – Africa as a Young Woman Mediation Ambassador 2019. I am also proud to have reached out to over 2,000 girls and young women in 4 months.
MM: What advice would you give to young girls interested in pursuing your path?
I have a lot to really say, being the storyteller that I am, but most importantly girls and women need to know that to get what you want you have to see it, speak it, and write it down[….] And even so, no one grows when things are easy, we grow when we face challenges.
XGrace
Interview has been edited for brevity and clarity
