Every year The Daystar Alumni Association gives awards to member of the Alumni who are making great strides. At the core of the Awards is the choice to appreciate the alumni who are taking the charge to be servant leaders and changing the world around them as they shine like the stars they are. All recipients:
- Are known for results and value
- Lead by example – servant leadership
- Known or integrity, honesty, commitment
- Apply their faith in every situation
The award categories are broad but only a limited number are given so the categories may vary year on year. This year, five awards were given:
- Corporate Communication Award
- Community Service Award
- Business Progression Award
- Continental Recognition Award
- Public Service Award
- CORPORATE COMMUNICATION AWARD
Selection Criteria:
- Plays a leadership role in Corporate Communications
- Provides key strategic input and insight to the industry
Solomon Mahinda – Managing Director H+K Strategies EA
Solomon is a seasoned communications and marketing expert with over 10 years’ experience. Solomon has developed and launched extensive marketing and communications (internal and external) projects including cultural transformations, stakeholder relations, crisis management and introduction of new company vision.
He has aligned company employees to strategic initiatives and operational directives. He has also initiated, integrated and re-designed Corporate Communications and Marketing departments including recruiting, developing new talent that advise and execute communications/marketing campaigns across a variety of businesses and functions.
He is currently the Managing Director at H+K Strategies EA. He has been Vice President, Communications and Marketing, Africa at Renaissance Capital & Renaissance Group; Head of Corporate Affairs, Communications and Marketing at Tatu City Limited; Senior Account Director, Ogilvy Africa; Account Director Hill & Knowlton (WPP) and Scangroup Limited; Account Manager, Scanad PR (Scangroup).
2. COMMUNITY SERVICE AWARD
Selection Criteria:
- Is doing something significant for their community.
- Works in the NGO, CBO and social services sector
- Started a project or business that directly adds value to the community
- Does things that cannot be repaid with money
- Built connections to gala
This year we chose to give this award to two people
a. Walter Machio – Founder Michezo Afika
Walter graduated in 2000 with BCom Accounting. Over the years he has realized that Leadership starts with the individual. Each one must lead themselves and submit to be led as a critical component for successful leadership. Above all a leadership position is simply but an opportunity to serve others.
Walter has led a team that has trained coaches, distributed sports equipment worth over 4 million shillings and above all set up discipleship centres. He has helped develop relationships with coaches across the country from Turkana to Mpeketoni, Lamu to Mfangano Island. Six years ago they started a program in Mukuru and parents were hesitant to be involved but now the parents are involved in their children’s lives. Michezo Afrika is paying fees for two young people in high school. In Makadara over 6 young people got high school admission purely because of their soccer talent and are performing above average. In Bungoma they have started a program in a village where the transition rate from Primary to Secondary is below 10%. There are 40 young people in the program at our centre hopefully all will join high school 4 years from now. He leads a team that runs a soccer program at Industrial Area prison and will expand it this year to Ruiru Prison. In 2013 they started the annual Magharibi Michezo Awards which is the premier sports awards focusing on the talent rich Western Kenya. Michezo Afrika won the Best Sports Blog category in the 2015 edition of the Bloggers Association of Kenya (BAKE) Awards.
b. Janet Ligare – Content Developer and Photo Journalist Pixell8
Janet graduated from Daystar in 2002 with a BA Communication. She worked extensively with the United Nations in different portfolios both here and abroad.
She has been a freelance photojournalist for nearly 8 years and has been privileged to travel as far as Ghana and Malawi for this.
She is currently pursuing a newly discovered passion in TV Content Production and Script Writing. She participated in the production of the first African Animation Series for BBC, Tinga Tinga Tales, the soon-to-air Mnet Comedy “One In A Million,” & Makutano Junction.
Her passion for content development was created from the realisation that there is limited educational content for children. Fuelled by her mother’s example to always give to those who don’t have, Janet joined forces with friends to develop content.
She believes that education is the greatest equalizer of people and she leads a personal charge to pay the fees of those who cannot afford. There is always a straightforward way to give and if she doesn’t have the, someone she knows does. This led to the start of a new project called the ‘One Million and one Scholarship.’ This project has two students in university and three in high school.
3. BUSINESS PROGRESSION AWARD
Selection Criteria:
- Has grown progressively through their career in business
- Has worked in different industries at different levels of the organisation
Stephen Ananda – Bamburi Cement
Stephen has worked in diverse positions and organisations in his career and carefully honed his skills as a growth champion, strategy implementer, astute project manager, master negotiator, team leader, resourceful & versatile manager with an entrepreneurial mindset.
Currently he is the Commercial Programs Manager at Bamburi Cement. He has been Head of Strategy and Business Development, East Africa Glassware Mart Limited; Country Manager, Media24 (Pty) Ltd (Who’s Who Kenya); Head, Client Relations and Fundraising, Strathmore Business School; Group Strategy Manager and PA to the CEO, Linksoft Communication Systems Limited; Sales and Marketing Representative Bamburi Cement Lrd (Kenya) and Hima Cement Ltd Uganda – Lafarge East Africa. Stephen routinely attains and exceeds his targets because of his ability to harness the different personalities and energies in the teams for best results.
His love for growth and change is fostered by his deep connection to the farm. He is an avid farmer and has been for most of his life.
4. CONTINENTAL RECOGNITION AWARD
Selection Criteria:
- Has been recognised for a continental/global award
- Has participated in a regional/global fellowship program
Catherine Asego – Washington Mandela Fellowship
Catherine has a heart for community development, civic education and policy engagement. She is currently the Campaigns Officer at Elimu Yetu Coalition, Kenya’s National Coalition of CSOs working towards the Education for All goals. Her childhood spent in Kibera greatly influenced her to become a dedicated campaigner for education. She designs and implements projects around the right to free and quality basic education for all. As part of her calling she volunteers in a youth group that sensitizes communities on gender violence, HIV/AIDS, and children’s rights through art and theater. Her target is to continue her advocacy work with greater focus on girls and marginalized groups.
5. PUBLIC SERVICE AWARD
Selection Criteria:
- Serves in the public sector or government
- Holds a position of influence
- Uses position to create opportunity for others to grow and thrive
Hon. Kwong Danhier – Minister of Infrastructure – Southern Sudan Cabinet
We make special mention of Kwong because of his leadership in the new government and growth of Africa’s newest nation. When we told him he would be recognized he was quick to remind us that the real heroes in life are the men and women serving humanity in internally displaced camps and refugee camps as well as the social workers in our slums. In his words, “those are the saints who deserve recognition.”
By Kyesubire ’00
Congratulations to them all!