Wevyn Muganda
Wevyn Muganda’s first experience working with the community was when she joined Starehe Girls Centre & School in Nairobi. Before this she was a Mombasa girl born and raised. She didn’t know it then, but this introduction to community work would define the path she would later take.
The Starehe administration encouraged its students to involve themselves in the communities around the school during the weekends, and further advised them to do the same back in their respective home towns – whether it was dedicating their time or through giving. When Wevyn later joined the University of Eldoret to study Actuarial Science, she was part of the AIESEC Club that was actively involved in working with communities and this became the turning point for her. Yes, while she studied a course that was primarily about mathematical and statistical methods, she saw herself do something more in line with community work; something she hoped to carry with her beyond school.
Two weeks after she graduated, Wevyn was off to Musanze, a village in Rwanda, for an exchange program. She volunteered as an English teacher, but her proactive nature saw her go further; she worked with women looking to sharpen their entrepreneurial skills.
Young, ambitious and somewhat still a fresh graduate, Wevyn was eager to put her finance knowledge to work and on some days she looked forward to a possible future working in a financial institution. When her time in Rwanda came to an end, she returned home to Mombasa and was soon told about an internship opportunity at a Human Rights organization called Haki Africa. Eager to expand community engagement work, Wevyn applied, even though she didn’t meet all the necessary qualifications. And while she made it to the interview, she was not selected for this reason. Three months later, the same position was advertised, and Wevyn, not one to back down, tried her luck again. She made it to the interview round and this time, her insistence got her the job.
She interned as a personal assistant to the company’s Chief Executive Officer, a role that granted her access to information regarding running a Non-Governmental Organization. Her open-mindedness made her interest in her work grow and it showed with the amount of time she took to researching and reading on policy documents, programs, financing programs and administration work as well as peace and security work. Six months later, filled with more insight than she imagined, Wevyn’s internship came to an end. Her hard work, her curiosity and her active pursuit of the answers to it made her worthy of a fulltime role at Haki Africa. She worked in the finance department for six months before she’d had enough of the department. She’d realized then that she was more drawn to work that directly involved the community, and she reasonably voiced this need. It worked out for her, this tenacity, when her request was considered and she was promoted to head the programs department. While this was a major step it was also going to be a daunting task that required responsibility but she did her best to deliver.
While working here, Wevyn went the extra mile to put the information she was learning at work to practice by starting her own initiatives. She started a blog – Beyond the Lines – where she wrote about preventing violence, human rights and active citizenship; and every Sunday, she spends her day with various communities in Mombasa, holding community conversations on police brutality and how young people can be part of community leadership – inspiring them with her story. The second initiative she dubbed Kauli Zetu Mtaani (Our Opinions in the Hood) and shared the voices of the people online as often as she could.
In 2019, Wevyn was selected by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) as one of sixteen young activists from around the world working on peace, security and justice issues. UNDP was stepping in to support the selected activists, and Wevyn was soon called to brief the United Nations (UN) Security Council on what young people feel about the youth, peace and security agenda as well as recommendations. She found herself in one of the highest rooms on the United Nations representing the voices of the ordinary Kenyans who are often left out of discussions. In December 2019, after two years working at Haki Africa, Wevyn resigned.
Today her work as an independent Human Rights Activist has been based on the relationships she has built over time. And this year, after the first CoVid-19 case was announced in Kenya, she, together with fellow activist Suhail started the online initiative #MutualAidKe that appealed for donations for food that would be distributed to vulnerable people in slums in Mombasa and Nairobi. When distribution began, Wevyn, Suhail and the #MutualAidKe volunteers didn’t just give food to selected members of the community, but went ahead and had community engagement sessions where they further explained the basics of the pandemic and the importance of hygiene and social distancing during this time.
As the team continues to put in the work, we can only celebrate their commitment to those whose voices are sometimes ignored or often unheard; and as for Wevyn, the Paukwa positive, hummingbird spirit moves within her, and for that, we salute her efforts.
Wevyn Muganda, may your tenacity never waver! Hongera!!
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The #MutualAidKe team is appealing to Kenyans who are able to donate food, sanitary items and education supplies. You may reach Wevyn directly on +254 702 868 986 for any inquiries and information updates
#TogetherWeCan
#RipplesOfPositivity
