Kenyan Woman Wins Prestigious U.S Peace Prize
Hamisa Zaja, a Kenyan woman leading the Coast Association for Persons with Disabilities, was honored on February 26 in the United States for her contributions to peacekeeping.
Hamisa emerged as one of the four finalists for the Women Building Peace Award, presented by the US Institute of Peace (USIP).
As per the institute’s information, they have garnered 150 nominations from 42 different countries to assess potential award candidates for the current year.
Nevertheless, the Institute eventually chose four individuals as finalists: Dr. Marie-Marcelle Deschamps from Haiti, Abir Ibrahim from Syria, Petronille Vaweka from the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), and Hamisa Zaja from Kenya.
Hamisa received recognition for her ten years of committed efforts in advancing human rights and addressing conflicts.
“The award is a testament to Kenya’s recognition for peace and should serve as an example to other nations amidst the conflicts in many parts of the world,” explained Hamisa.
Talking about her approach to activism, Hamisa emphasized her concentration on supplying resources and improving living conditions to promote harmony.
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Speaking at the Moi International Airport before departing for Washington, Hamisa stated, “My work focuses on empowerment through the implementation of tangible income-generating projects that enhance people’s lives.”
Based on a brief investigation into her achievements, Gossipa2z.com discovered that Hamisa played a significant role in resolving a conflict in Tana River County in 2012, which resulted in the loss of over 100 lives.
Additionally, Hamisa is also an activist for the rights of People Living With Disabilities where she heads the Coast Association, having been diagnosed with Polio in her childhood.
The activist, who has also set up a resource center in Majengo, Mombasa explained that the center equips more than 1500 women with skills to make a living including purchasing a sewing machine for some of her mentees.
Kenya has continued to be on the map, with more women receiving awards in the global space.
Earlier, this February a Kenyan Woman, Wawira Njiru, was one of the ten winners of the Elevate Prize Award for her initiative feeding school children, Food for Education.
Kenyan Woman Wins Prestigious U.S Peace Prize