Founder and President, Samburu Girls Foundation, Kenya
A Samburu herself Josephine Kulea is the Founder and President of the Samburu Girls Foundation (SGF), a Kenyan NGO fighting against retrogressive practices in pastoralist communities. Josephine is a courageous youth activist and a nurse by profession addressing harmful cultural practices facing children in the pastoralist communities in Northern Kenya. As president of SGF, she rescues girls from female genital mutilation, child marriages and beading and takes all the rescued girls to boarding schools for education and safeguarding. She has a passion for what she does hence she has been able to venture into a field where not many people are bold enough to do. Her tremendous work has been recognised widely and has been awarded numerous awards including Unsung Hero 2011, Head of State Commendation 2012, Gender-Based Violence Champion 2013, UN Person of the Year 2013, Inspiring Woman 2014, Nominee for Transform Kenya awards 2014 and YALI Washington Fellow 2014, Vital Voices Lead Program 2015, African Union Youth Hero 2015 and was recently recognised by President Obama for her work during his recent visit to Kenya. She also received Honorary Doctorate Degree from DePaul University in Chicago. Her dream is to see children enjoying their full rights, and the eradication of the above harmful cultural practices through resource mobilisation to sensitise and educate the affected communities in Kenya and in Africa as a whole.