num_pages: 272
description: Find Me Unafraid tells the uncommon love story between two uncommon people whose collaboration sparked a successful movement to transform the lives of vulnerable girls and the urban poor. With a Foreword by Nicholas Kristof.This is the story of two young people from completely different worlds: Kennedy Odede from Kibera the largest slum in Africa and Jessica Posner from Denver Colorado. Kennedy foraged for food lived on the street and taught himself to read with old newspapers. When an American volunteer gave him the work of Mandela Garvey and King teenaged Kennedy decided he was going to change his life and his community. He bought a soccer ball and started a youth empowerment group he called Shining Hope for Communities (SHOFCO). Then in 2007 Wesleyan undergraduate Jessica Posner spent a semester abroad in Kenya working with SHOFCO. Breaking all convention she decided to live in Kibera with Kennedy and they fell in love.Their connection persisted and Jessica helped Kennedy to escape political violence and fulfill his lifelong dream of an education at Wesleyan University.The alchemy of their remarkable union has drawn the support of community members and celebrities alikeThe Clintons Mia Farrow and Nicholas Kristof are among their fansand their work has changed the lives of many of Kiberas most vulnerable population: its girls. Jess and Kennedy founded Kiberas first tuition-free school for girls a large bright blue building which stands as a bastion of hope in what once felt like a hopeless place. But Jessica and Kennedy are just getting startedthey have expanded their model to connect essential services like health care clean water and economic empowerment programs. Theyve opened an identical project in Mathare Kenyas second largest slum and intend to expand their remarkably successful program for change.Ultimately this is a love story about a fight against poverty and hopelessness the transformation made possible by a true love and the power of young people to have a deep impact on the world.
language: English
title: Find Me Unafraid: Love, Loss, and Hope in an African Slum
publisher: HarperCollins