Media personality Adelle Onyango has launched an organization dubbed The Adelle Onyango Initiative, that will empower women and young people.
The initiative, which was launched last week. will focus on Youth Empowerment, Mental Health and Gender Equality. The initiative started informally in 2017 and to date it includes a scholarship program, job shadow program and storytelling platform AdelleTV. AdelleTV tells African stories and hosts conversations on topics such as depression, breast cancer, rape among others. The initiative also includes access to therapy for rape survivors via the phone. In 2019, the programs under the initiative will continue and the rape survivors program will be scaled up to include an actual clinic.
The trustees of the The Adelle Onyango Initiative are Kennedy Odede, Larry Asego, Valarie Lwile, Winnie Odinga, James Bukusi, Erin Thornton, and Katie Harrison.
At the launch, Ms. Onyango urged Africans not to be afraid to find their way and solutions to their situation while recognizing that they are not like the rest of the world.
She also added that “We need to change the African narrative, take away the “but” or “despite” in our stories. We are exceptional! We don’t do extraordinary despite challenges; we just are exceptional!! We don’t seek validation, and we are not about comparison; we are not only creating a different set of rules, but we’re also playing a different game, an African game in an African context!! We are not diseased, broken and in need of help, we are gifted, rich, rhythmic, excellent, powerful, creative, modern, traditional, intelligent, we are kings and we are queens, understand that in being African we can change the world, but in trying to be like the world we cannot be African!”
Speaking on the initiative, Winnie Odinga, one of the Trustees said, “The launch of the Adelle Onyango Initiative is a great achievement for a phenomenal woman like Adelle, as it touches on issues (Mental Health, Youth Empowerment and Gender Equality) that affect our society”. “It gives me satisfaction as a Kenyan to be part of this noble cause by Kenyans for Kenyans, I hope someone will see this and put a smile on someone’s face today”. She added.
In attendance at the launch were Winnie Odinga -Trustee Adelle Onyango Initiative, media personalities Caroline Mutoko, Shaffie Weru, Victoria Rubadiri, Mwalimu Rachel, Linda Nyangweso, Nelly Tuikong-Park of Pauline Cosmetics, Rama Oluoch, Kirigo Ng’arua, Patricia Kihoro and Patrick Ojil – Africa Business News.
Adelle Onyango is a radio presenter, influencer, entrepreneur and women rights activist. She has gained international recognition for her efforts in empowering Kenyan women and youth, most recently serving on the Youth Advisory Board for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation’s second annual Goalkeeper’s conference. She also represented Kenya at the 2017 Children’s Global Media Summit, where she chaired two sessions on youth and cyber-bullying.
