Abbas Gullet: The Volunteer That Keeps On Giving

Photo Copyright: CNN

There are six principles that Abbas Gullet lives by: humility, honesty, dedication, transparency, commitment and accountability. Of these, dedication is at the forefront and over time has resulted in tremendous achievements, both personally and professionally.

Abbas Gullet has pledged much of his life to helping others – a passion that was nurtured in him while growing up in Mombasa growing up under the care of his adoptive parents. Taken in as an orphan from Garissa, Abbas moved to the coastal hub of Mombasa where the idea of service was first piqued through the hotel. Growing up in the thriving tourism hotspot, his dream was to be a manager at one of the coast’s top resorts, and if that didn’t come to pass, medicine was his second choice, after all, service was service whether to tourists or patients!

Abbas joined Buxton Primary School and thereafter Technical High School, both in Mombasa, where he took up his first leadership role as class prefect of his Form one class. The next step came in 1974, in his second year of high school when he gained an interest in the President’s Award Scheme – a self-development program targeted at young people and equipping them with the skills to make a difference for themselves, their communities, the country and with time, the world. The program offered two medals: A bronze medal that required candidates to be active in sports, community service and outdoor pursuits, and a gold medal that required basic first aid knowledge. Abbas, keen on securing both medals, went at it with his heart’s passion. He enrolled for a beginner’s course in first aid at The Kenya Red Cross Mombasa Branch, where he walked away with critical knowledge and this PA Gold Medal award. The encounter encouraged Abbas to join The Red Cross Youth Club, a decision that would affect his life. After high school, Abbas landed his first job with Kenya Posts and Telecommunication Corporation in 1978. Seven years later he returned to the organization that had given him a platform to pursue service. He joined The Kenya Red Cross Society as a National First Aid Officer, beginning with months at the Mombasa Office before being transferred to the headquarters in Nairobi.

While at the Red Cross, Abbas continued with his education and eventually attained an MBA in Management from Lancaster University in 1997. In 1999, after fourteen years of living the Red Cross principles, he was promoted to the position of Global Deputy Secretary General of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, the governing body that managed hundreds of thousands of volunteers and staff across the globe.

Abbas continued his drive towards changing lives of the vulnerable but after a season decided to return to Kenya and take up the role of Secretary General of the Kenya Red Cross. Abbas put together a team that spearheaded the process of rejuvenating the Kenya Red Cross Society. At the time the Society was underperforming, but Abbas was determined to bring the Society to its former glory. It took ten years of tenacity but a decade later, KRCS was recognised as one of the best in Africa and has become the first port of call for disaster response in our country, a trusted platform for Kenyans across the country.

In 2017, Abbas was commended for his humanitarian work and fostering of human solidarity, and awarded the 2017 North-South Prize by the Council of Europe.

We honour Abbas Gullet for his devotion towards humanity, exhibited through his six principles which have resulted in the ultimate form of #KeExcellence