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Grace smiling looking down the camera lens. Standing outside in front of greenery.

Raising Voices

The Real Stories of Peace: Raising Voices

Meet Grace from Kenya. She uplifts women and girls to include them in peacebuilding efforts.

Grace looking at the camera with a green background. Quote overtop reads ‘Everyone can be a peacebuilder, and we should all be peacebuilders’

Grace had witnessed violence in her community and across Kenya. These conflicts did not just impact individuals like herself, they had a ripple effect across entire families and neighbourhoods. The lack of meaningful dialogue perpetuated cycles of violence and instability. 

‘I witnessed first-hand the repercussions of conflict…Yet, amid these challenges, I also saw the resilience of individuals, especially young people, who yearned for a different future.’   

Left: Grace standing in a black dress, smiling at the camera. Right: Grace talking to a friend sitting at a desk with a laptop

Since she turned 21, Grace has dedicated her life to peacebuilding. She is now the Executive Director of Women Volunteers for Peace (WOVOP), a local group committed to the protection of at-risk women and girls. They have 430 dedicated volunteers committed to building lasting peace across Kenya and beyond. 

Throughout her years in the peacebuilding sector, Grace has seen how difficult it can be for people to identify as peacebuilders and see just how much influence they can have in their communities. ‘A lot of people think peacebuilding is a foreign concept.’

Grace has been committed to challenging the typical view of who a peacebuilder is. 

Grace sitting at her desk working at her laptop.

Grace has been and continues to be committed to supporting young women and girls to know how valuable their insights and voices are in building peace.

‘Each step forward, every challenge overcome, and every life touched serves as a testament to the boundless potential of young women in shaping a future of enduring peace and prosperity.’   

For Grace, peace starts with listening to the voices of women and girls.

Grace facing the camera with her hand up and a sticker that says 'Peace Starts Here'

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