WHO WE ARE

Robert serves as a transformational facilitator, dynamic teacher and powerful mentor, inspiring emerging leaders who carry revolutionary visions for uplifting their communities and their lives. He has a passion and dream for unifying people from all walks of life in service, socio-economic growth, personal growth and healing. Robert is the first born among 10 siblings in a polygamous family; six biological siblings and four step-siblings.

He was born in Tharaka, eastern province of Kenya, which is a vastly dry and stony area. At the age of seven years, Robert, his mother and five biological siblings were chased away by his father so that he could marry a second wife who would be an educated wife compared to his own mother who never went to school. He moved with his poor mother and desperate siblings far away and settled in a grass-thatched mud-walled hut, which later was swept away by floods. The family made a nearby tree their house for a couple of weeks before being offered accommodation by a good neighbor. Robert dropped out of school for two years to help his stressed mother whose little two babies were malnourished, weak and unable to walk. They subsisted through sand harvesting and charcoal burning. He and his little siblings could go for days without a meal. It reached a point of desperation when Robert gathered and hunted wild fruits and animals for their meals, sleeping in the streets in the nearby Marimanti market. Robert lost his mum through cervical cancer and became the father and mother of his siblings while still in school. His only two sisters got sexually abused and got pregnant when they were teenagers. This became a big wound in his heart. His sisters were forced to drop out of school to care for their babies; yet another setback for Robert and his struggling young family. Besides all these challenges, Robert was the first to complete primary school level in his entire family lineage and first to pursue a PhD in his community. He is a passionate crusader for education, socio-economic empowerment and social justice.

Due to suffering he witnessed to her own mother, his sisters and his community, Robert founded Naledi (Star) Initiative which is a Registered as non-profitable Organization in Kenya, to be calling a male voice and support system for women by creating space for them to learn how to heal their wounds and become healers; as well as work with men to break this cycle of gender-based violence perpetrated by them.

About Founder

OUR STRUCTURE

Board of Advisory

Dr. Karambu is the 2022 DIAR 4th Edition Awards recipient in the awards category: Diversity and Inclusion Peace and Cohesion Champion Award. She is also the 2019 Global Impact Award recipient; the 2019 Mark Wilhelm Award for Courage of Convictions; a 2016 Cordes Social Entrepreneurs Fellow; a 2015/16 Next Generation Leader Fellow of the McCain Institute for International Leadership, USA; the 2015 Life Achievement Award and 2015 Master Scholar Award winner, University of Denver, USA; and the 2012 African Achievers Award, UK – for her cutting edge work in innovative and sustainable models of development & peacebuilding, women’s human rights , children’s rights and global leadership programs around the world. Dr Karambu is the founder and president of the Tiriji Foundation (TF)www.tirijifoundation.com; International Peace Initiatives (IPI)www.ipeacei.org; and the founder: the Amani Children’s Homes (ACHs), the New Generation Leaders (NGL) program; and Tiriji Eco Centre; and co-founder, the Practical Permaculture Institute, Mount Kenya Region. She is the Eastern Africa region Gender Equity and Reconciliation coordinator and is an International facilitator and Training of Trainer with Satyana Institute, USA. She has used her extensive academic background and international experience working in many countries to design and implement models of effective community engagement, women’s & youth’s grassroots organizing programs, collaborative problem solving models, preemptive and post conflict reconciliation, and proactive health campaigns. She has built a successful, working model of “Amani Homes,” community homes of peace for orphans and vulnerable children in Meru, Kenya. In addition, she has created a vocational skills school that teaches so-called ‘school drop outs’ how to use their skills to create successful businesses. 80% of students graduating from this program set up their own businesses!

Shauna Mistretta is passionate about making a difference in the world. This passion has taken on many forms from helping to create market access for women’s craft groups in Africa, doing trauma healing and leadership development for orphan genocide survivors in Rwanda, working in children’s homes and schools throughout Kenya and Tanzania and is currently the Founder of the social business Beads of Esiteti which creates an income for over 275 Maasai women in Kenya, helping to create economic, health and educational opportunities for this tribal community.

Shauna has been honored to work with many different non-profits throughout her career including the Amala Foundation as the Director of the California Global Youth Peace Summit and Director of the Kenya Global Youth Peace Summit. Shauna is fueled by the power and resilience of the human spirit and is dedicated to creating environments in which people can connect, heal and discover the unique gifts they have to share with the world. Shauna is currently the co-founder of The Institute for Emerging Visionaries.

Through her 20 years of leadership and as the Founder of the Amala Foundation; a non-profit humanitarian organization, Vanessa has come to serve as a transformational facilitator, dynamic teacher and powerful mentor, inspiring emerging leaders who carry revolutionary visions for uplifting our world and growing global community. She has a passion for unifying people from all walks of life in service, personal growth and healing.

Vanessa Stone, with the support of community, has initiated and served as lead facilitator in countless transformational projects including, The Global Youth Peace Summit, Camp Indigo, Bhatti Mines School Project in India, African Youth Peace Summit, One Village Prison Project, Camp Mana  and currently co-founder of The Institute for Emerging Visionaries. She is also founding board member for HIP Agriculture and continues her work as an inspirational speaker, mentor and consultant for individuals and groups.

In 2016, she co-founded The Institute for Emerging Visionaries, which offers a course of learning, training and mentorship for young visionary leaders from around the world to receive the support needed to actualize their visions for their communities.

Jacqueline worked in the Ministry of Health at Meru Teaching and Referral Hospital for 5 years and she is currently nursing services manager at Kanyakine Sub-County hospital in Kenya. She holder bachelor of science in Nursing/Midwife with 12 years of experience (5 years’ experience with NGO and 8 years with Government Facilities).

She is Passionate on community health, Reproductive Health, Promoting health in the world. She has worn a national award as a champion in provision of Family planning methods through the (Kenya Obstetrical and Gynecological Society/ Federation of International of Gynecologists and Obstetricians) KOGS/FIGO Initiative Program. She also has influence in development of National Nurses Scope of Practice and great power of influence in her leadership in Obstetric and Community Health Departments.

Born and raised in Meru, Patrick earned his Diploma Registered Community Health Nurse in 2013 from the Clivelrvine School of Nursing in P.C.E.A Chogoria Hospital. He has eight years work experience as Community Health Nurse in both Government and Private hospitals. 

Patrick is a visionary, compassionate and an inspiration to his colleagues, and all who meet him. He is a young humanitarian and has a passion of giving back to community by supporting less fortunate in the society.

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He is serving as a secretary in Board of Directors of The Naledi Initiative whose core mandate is to support vulnerable women and girls in the marginalized communities.

JACQUELINE GATABI

NALEDI BOARD MEMBER-HEALTH PROGRAM

Dr. KARAMBU RINGERA

BOARD OF ADVISOR MEMBER

ROBERT MURITHI KAMWARA

FOUNDER AND EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

A CPA (K) holder registered with ICPAK, certified accountant and Auditor working with PSK Associate as an Auditor Firm. She also hold a MBA (Finance) Meru university, BCOM (Finance) Meru University, higher diploma in Business Management from Kenya Institute of Management.

She is passionate on community work and she offers a depth of finance management skills and capacity for ongoing engagement for the Naledi Initiative programs as finance officer. She applies her expertise and skills as an accountant and auditor to our work, combining evidence based methods and community input to improve the livelihood of vulnerable women and girls in our communities.

Joyce is a registered and a licensed Senior Nutrition and Dietetics Officer with Kenya Nutrition and Dietetics Council. She has a Diploma in Community Nutrition from Kenya Medical Training College - Karen, which is a regional Centre of excellence for training Nutrition and Dietetics Personnel, a collaborative initiative between Ministry of Health-Kenya, Medical Training College and Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD). She has a Bachelor of Science Foods, Nutrition and Dietetics from Kenyatta University (Kenya) and currently pursuing a Masters Degree in Public Health (Human Nutrition) from Moi University - Kenya. She has a wealth of experience in Maternal Infant and Young Child Nutrition, Dietary diversification, Food and nutrition security, Nutrition in emergency, Water, hygiene and sanitation (WaSH). She is an advocate and a champion for the women and children in the rural set up in promoting dietary diversification as well as addressing food and nutrition security through training, educating and demonstrating to the rural women on organic kitchen gardening using the grow bags technology as well as rearing the small animals such as rabbits and chicken as source of both food and income generating activity for the family. This goes a long way in ensuring that the families are social economically empowered for community well-being.

She is a key promoter and an ambassador of breastfeeding as a cost effective intervention in preventing and reducing infant morbidity and mortality.

During our free cancer screening and medical camps, she brings in her expertise in screening and early detection for malnutrition and guides on referral and linkages. She has been at the forefront in advocacy for girl child education, fight against female genital mutilation, forced and teenage marriages and any form of gender discrimination as well as gender based violence. She is a key personnel in capacity building the Community Health Volunteers which is a concept that has been used by Naledi Initiative to link the community and the Public Health Hospitals for any Health and Nutrition related matters.

JOYCE KAIMURI NJERU

NALEDI NUTRITION AND DIETETICS CONSULTANT

SENAN KAWIRA RIUNGU

NALEDI DIRECTOR OF FINANCE

Steve Jana Tsuma a young man from Rabai, Kilifi County in Kenya, a dreamer and passionate in making a different in the world through service to humanity. “Naledi Initiative is doing what I love to do in the society. Advocating for a better life mostly to young girls who have been disadvantaged due to false beliefs in the society”- Steve Jana Tsuma

 Steve has been general secretary of student’s council in Maseno University and participant of Global Youth Peace Summit in Kenya. He is a teacher and humanitarian who is working closely with vulnerable and marginalized youth, and teenage girls in his community by advocating for their human right especially right to education, and sensitization on reproductive and sexual health. In his journey of service to his community he has realized that majority of the young girls from underprivileged families lack parental participation in their learning process and this has led to poor behavior and lower school completion rate, early pregnancies and marriages.

Steve Jana Tsuma

Community Facilitator

EVANS MUTHOMI

NALEDI RESEARCHER OFFICER

Evans Muthomi is 25 years old, Undergraduate of Bachelors in Health Science Community Health and Development and a registered student of Masters in International Health.

His immense passion for research and data analysis journey begun in the university. He has done research and data analysis in many freelance jobs focusing on research and data analysis, health project in capacity of data analysis and research consultant.

He is involved in projects which focus on general welfare for vulnerable communities, such projects can target issues such as health, food security, economic empowerment and childcare protection. “Personally I feel that no problem is too big or too complex to be solved, the key is involving the affected people in the process of developing the solution.”

He believe that research and data analysis is a very powerful tools which can be used to shed some light on the critical problems affecting communities. Sustainable and long term solutions can be developed for these problems based on these two tools, research and data analysis.

His skills include planning and conceptualizing a study, designing data collection tools, coordinating data collection, data processing, data analysis, data presentation, report drafting and study publication.

Kelly Njenga

Photographer at Naledi Initiative

He is a wood-works designer at International Peace Initiatives (IPI), Meru, Kenya. Driven by interests in visioning a different way of creating art from the normal way of thinking. Kelly have been able to explore my skill by working with bamboo and from the experience he would say, “Beauty is only skin deep”, it’s durable. He is passionate about photography, especially natural scenes. Peace and Hope have driven him to be a humanitarian currently volunteering to work with Naledi Initiatives and Kila Dada Initiatives as we vision to better the lives of young women in our communities by providing reproductive health care and education.

Fitness Instructor, cyclist, personal Trainer, Yoga Teacher at self-employed. She is specialist as personal trainer for healthy adults incorporate sports drills, sports specific exercises, healthy nutrition, stretches and yoga into individual program.

She is physical rehabilitation therapist working with clients post-surgery and physiotherapy as well as seniors, helping them with an exercise program to strengthen their muscles whilst building their confidence to becoming independent both in their day to day activities and adherence to an exercise program.

She is a keen marathon runner participated in many full and half marathons in Kenya and abroad. She has been chief trainer and healthy lifestyle coach for the inaugural Ismaili Golden Jubilee games in 2008, and a consultant for Shani Active Gym & Studio at ABC Tower, Nairobi for 15 years.

NEESHA VELANI

NALEDI FUNDRAISING CHAMPION

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Founder of Eleven Degrees Africa based in Kenya www.elevendegrees.africa . James Passionate about gender and water in Africa, serving less fortunate communities, cycling, hiking and human rights, James’s a profound believer in the capacity of thoughtful photography to humanize complex humanitarian issues around the world.

JAME NGENCU

NALEDI COMMUNICATION AND BRANDING CONSULTANT

OTHER STAFF VOLUNTEERS

Doreen is a Kenyan Lady born and raised in Meru. She earned higher Diploma in social work and community development.

She has eight years work experience as a social officer. She has a heart and passion to serve community and impact life's of youths and women. Her treasure is to empower vulnerable to have dignified life.

Our Vision

To Restore Hope and Dignity for a Bright Future.

Our Mission

To Create Opportunities, Build Thriving Communities and to Champion Transformation of Lives and Livelihoods through Sustainable Initiatives.