Zuri Awards

Growing up in a community weighed down by poverty, unemployment, teenage pregnancies, and gender-based abuse, Cynthia Awuor saw firsthand the silent battles so many young people and women faced every single day. 💛

But instead of allowing those realities to define her community’s future, she chose to become part of the change.

Today, through Awuor Nyamolo Foundation, a community-based organization in Nyakach Sub County, Kisumu County, she is creating safe spaces, restoring hope, and reminding young people, women, children, and persons with disabilities that their circumstances do not have to determine their destiny.

This is more than community work.
It’s a story of courage, compassion, and choosing to go back home to rewrite the story for others. ✨

Catch her inspiring story on our YouTube channel.

Growing up in the Ateso community, Faith Ong’iro noticed something many people overlooked. After childbirth, women were often expected to return to life as though nothing had changed, yet deep inside, many were silently struggling. 💜

That realization became the beginning of AMOT Network, a safe space helping women and mothers find their way back home to themselves through emotional wellness tools, healing conversations, and structured support programs.

Through her own journey, Faith understood that when a mother is hurting in silence, she may continue showing up for the world while feeling lost within herself. And that’s exactly why she chose to create a space where women feel seen, heard, and supported.

Meet Faith Ong’iro, a Zuri Awards nominee empowering women to heal, grow, and rediscover themselves beyond motherhood.

🎥 Catch her full story on our YouTube channel.
https://f.mtr.cool/oddiqlpndx

What began as a teacher noticing her students silently struggling during their periods became a mission to restore dignity, confidence, and hope for young girls. 💜

While teaching, Liz Njeri Kamau witnessed firsthand the painful reality many girls in low-income schools faced every month. Together with her colleagues, they stepped in to buy sanitary pads for their students, but along the way, they uncovered something even deeper: period illiteracy.

That moment sparked the birth of Beyond The Flow, a community-based organisation advancing menstrual equity by equipping adolescent girls with knowledge, life skills, and sustainable solutions that empower their well-being and dignity.

Her journey is a reminder that sometimes change begins with simply choosing to care.

✨ Meet Liz Njeri Kamau, a Zuri Awards nominee creating safe spaces and brighter futures for young girls.

🎥 Catch her full story on our YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/CO_FFP8lIfI?si=gB27wg-p8xsblUfz

After witnessing maize lethal necrosis wipe out farms across her community in Bomet County in 2022, Karen Cherono knew farmers needed more than just hope, they needed timely, accessible solutions. 🌱

What started from seeing the struggles of her own community became AgroMind-AI, a platform helping farmers access climate-smart agricultural guidance tailored to their location, receive timely farming recommendations, and diagnose pests and crop diseases before they spread.

Through innovation rooted in lived experience, Karen is helping farmers make smarter decisions and protect their livelihoods one season at a time.

✨ Meet Karen Cherono, founder of AgroMind-AI and a Zuri Awards 2026 nominee using technology to transform agriculture.

Catch her full inspiring story on our YouTube channel. 🎥

From losing her job during COVID to finding purpose behind the wheel, Lucy Mure turned every ride into a safe space for women to share, heal, and feel seen. 💜

Today, through the Ambitious Girl Initiative in Uasin Gishu County, she continues championing sexual and reproductive health and rights advocacy, proving that impact can begin in the most unexpected places.

Her journey is a reminder that sometimes purpose finds you when life changes direction.

✨ Meet Lucy Mure, a Zuri Awards nominee changing lives one conversation at a time.

Catch her full story on our YouTube channel. 🎥
https://youtu.be/jOOKkcXK9bE?si=zqYT2gPo8stsdRiK

At just 12 years old, Ivy Muraithi survived SGBV, and today, she’s turning her pain into purpose through True Care New Day Center. 💛

Her organization supports teen mothers and young girls under 18 who have gone through SGBV and related challenges within their communities, helping them access a second chance at education and hope for a better future.

This is more than a story of survival. It’s a story of resilience, impact, and restoring dreams. ✨

Catch her full story on our YouTube channel 🎥
https://youtu.be/j8EcDuPGqB8?si=KqxmL4LHdYa3KCAQ

Some stories don’t just inspire, they create change.

Meet Fiona Juma, founder of EpiCare Africa, an initiative providing assistive technology for people living with epilepsy and equipping communities with the knowledge to respond with care, not fear.

Her journey is deeply personal. Having lived with epilepsy for over 15 years, Eby turned her experience into purpose, building solutions that are saving lives and restoring dignity.

This is what impact looks like.

Catch her full story on our YouTube channel.
https://youtu.be/d4XeGg5H35w?si=-WSITD0WBPuXd2cz