Physically challenged peacebuilder Hamisa Zaja will receive an international award in Washington, DC.
The Coast Association for Persons Living with Disability executive director departed on Sunday night for Washington.
Zaja, who was stricken with polio while she was still a child, is happily married with children.
She is one of four women nominated for the Women Building Peace Award 2023 by the US Institute of Peace (USIP) for her work empowering youth, women and persons with disability.
USIP is a national, nonpartisan, independent institute, founded by the US Congress and dedicated to the proposition that a world without violent conflict is possible.
The other three women are from the Democratic Republic of Congo, Syria and Haiti.
From Majengo in Mvita, Mombasa, Zaja has overcome many challenges to become a peacebuilder.
Majengo is a cosmopolitan area with many urban challenges. It contains people from various backgrounds and religions.
“It’s a place where conflict cannot miss,” Zaja said.
She started her peacebuilding venture in 2005, when she delved into the world of empowerment.
“My work goes direct to empowerment, tangible income generating projects that enhance people’s lives,” she said.
She helped build a resource centre in Majengo that annually empowers more than 1,500 youth, women and persons with disability.
“They come out with different life skills that focus on building their livelihoods,” Zaja said.
In 2022, Lely Mwanaidi, a beneficiary, walked out of the resource centre with a sewing machine to start her own business after learning dress-making skills at the Majengo Resource Centre.
Zaja said she focuses on transforming people from a stage of insignificance to being a valuable person in society.
“A person of value is focused and would always make and maintain peace. Conflict comes when people have lost hope. But I give hope for a better future to the people,” she said.
She boarded a Kenya Airways flight to Nairobi from Moi International Airport in Mombasa before departing for Washington at midnight from Jomo Kenyatta International Airport.
She is expected to receive the award at the USIP headquarters on the March 1, the first day of Women’s History Month, and ahead of the International Women Day on March 8.
She said the award is a great recognition for Kenyan peace-builders, women and especially persons with disability.
“This means Kenya is a country that is recognised for peace and should be an example of peace to other nations amid the conflicts in many parts of the world,” Zaja said.
Kenya, she said, should be at the round table talking peace and security.
