Meet Wuod Tina from Kenya. He works in his community to educate community members on the importance of living peacefully.
Wuod Tina is a businessperson in Kisumu, Kenya. He explains to us why he chooses to be called Wuod Tina; ‘Tina is my mother…my mother had a lot to do with shaping my world and my opinion.’
Wuod Tina grew up during a time of deep unrest across Kenya. Saba Saba was a day of extreme political protest that occurred across Kenya in July 1990, the country was demanding the government reinstate a multiparty system. Today, Saba Saba day serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of civic engagement and political accountability.
Whilst the country was seeking multi-party democracy, Wuod Tina found himself travelling through Nairobi. He was not aware that he was travelling a route that would meet a violent crowd.
Following this experience, Wuod Tina sought to further understand people’s experiences and what leads them to react violently.
Back in the 1990s, Wuod Tina began to volunteer his time to educate young people on peacebuilding. He started with gathering a group of young people, giving them a space to discuss issues they faced and plan ways they could come together to build peace.
However, it wasn’t long before violence spread from Nairobi to his home in Kisumu. Wuod Tina worked locally to educate young people on ways to better channel frustration rather than through violence.
Wuod Tina understands that many people in his community see violence as the norm. However, he believes it is possible to address these misunderstandings when you address the root causes.
Many people believe peacebuilders to be people who come from international governments and organisations. Wuod Tina is focussed on educating communities to believe peace is a cultural issue they themselves can impact.
Wuod Tina shares with us how vital it is for multiple factors to be discussed when building peace. Factors that only local people truly understand the complexities of.
