Mission

Shining Hope for Communities (SHOFCO) is a grassroots movement that catalyzes large-scale transformation in urban slums by providing critical services for all, community advocacy platforms, and education and leadership development for women and girls.

What We Do

Kennedy Odede started SHOFCO in 2004 while growing up in Kibera, Africa's largest slum. Today SHOFCO serves over 275,000 urban slum dwellers in four slums across Kenya. In 2018, SHOFCO became the youngest-ever organization to be awarded the Conrad N. Hilton Humanitarian Prize for extraordinary contributions to alleviate human suffering.

SHOCO transforms urban slums by combatting the systemic challenges that perpetuate urban poverty. We offer education, health care, sanitation, and economic empowerment programs, and our integrated model ensures that SHOFCO members are referred to different services based on their needs. We work to disrupt survival mode and build a promising future, with a focus on women and children -- the most vulnerable -- as the key to community transformation.

Change will only be achieved and sustained if all stakeholders value an inclusive democracy and tomorrow's leaders create and enforce just policies. Therefore, we make long-term investments in quality education for girls living in slum communities. Our two schools for girls are groundbreaking, offering a high quality, leadership-focused education that will prepare girls to pursue higher education and achieve leadership positions in their careers.