Nana Wanjau is a Kenyan philanthropist known for her work as president of the Rotary Club of Nairobi East and for her founding of the non-profit Power Woman International that works to help widows in Kenya.
Early life
editWanjau was born on October 26, 1979, to a Kenyan father and a Tanzanian mother.[1] At early age, she was raised by her grandmother in Bukoba, Tanzania. When her grandfather died, the community forced her grandmother to leave the community because of her grandmother's position as a widow.[2] After her high school years, Wanjau went to stay with her mother in Lusaka, Zambia. Her mother, a medical doctor, influenced her to enroll to medical college and study medicine. Wanjau attended the program for 1 year before dropping out of college.[1] Subsequently, she moved to Ivory Coast where her father was based, at the age of 21, her father’s work brought him back home, so Nana came to Kenya and settled.[1]
Career
editWanjau initially worked in information technology, but then became a stay at home mom.[3] She became interested in charitable work after watching her mother run a medical clinic in Zambia.[4] She joined the Rotary Club in 2005, and served as president of Rotary Club of Nairobi East, Kenya for one year long, from 2015 until 2016.[5][6][7] In this period she worked to expand libraries in Korogocho,[8] and she joined a group of people who climbed Mount Kilimanjaro to raise funds for charity.[9]
In January 2023, she was appointed as chairperson at Commonwealth Business Women Africa,[10] and in this role she worked to increase digital literacy for girls.[11] In 2022 Wanjau talked about the organization's role in promoting gender equality for women in Africa.[12] As of 2023, she was chief gender officer at Pan African Chamber of Commerce.[13]
After completing her term as president of the Rotary Club, she started Power Women International, a non-profit that aides widows in Kenya.[4][14] The organization helps widows remain in their communities through building houses and providing training, a need Wanjau recognized because her of experience as a young child and further developed in Wanjau's conversations with widows.[2]
She also founded Branding Beyond Borders (network for various professionals), and Saltaway Investments Ltd, a Kenyan real estate company.[15][16]
Honors and awards
editWanjau is the winner of 2019 East Africa Woman Leadership Award.[17][18][19]
References
edit- ^ a b c Ashley, Diana (2017-07-01). "Nana's Dedicated Service to Ostracized Widows". Mkazi Magazine. Archived from the original on August 29, 2017. Retrieved 2024-02-11.
- ^ a b "No husband no dignity? Group helps widows rebuild their lives". The Star (Nairobi, Kenya). July 15, 2017 – via Gale (publisher).
- ^ AKELLO, ESTHER. "NANA WANJAU Woman without limits – Parents Africa". parentsafrica.com. Retrieved 2024-02-13.
- ^ a b Munde, Claire (October 22, 2016). "I blend my charity work with personal growth". The Star (Nairobi, Kenya) – via Gale (publisher).
- ^ "Nana Wanjau takes over as Rotary Club president - Business Today Kenya". 2015-06-01. Retrieved 2024-02-13.
- ^ "MEET THE COVER MODELS – Parents Africa". parentsafrica.com. Retrieved 2024-02-13.
- ^ "Nana Wanjau » Rotary Club of Nairobi East". Rotary Club of Nairobi East. Retrieved 2024-02-11.
- ^ "Rotary Club Working to Improve Literacy in Korogocho Slum". AllAfrica.com; Washington. 30 July 2015.
- ^ Kimutai, Carole (January 24, 2015). "Kilimanjaro: Life changing five days of pain and pleasure". Daily Nation, Kenya (Nairobi, Kenya) – via Gale (publisher).
- ^ Susan Nyawira, The star (2019-08-21). "Kenya launches the Commonwealth Business Women Network". The Star. Retrieved 2024-02-11.
- ^ "Commonwealth Business Women Africa signs deal to equip 1 million girls with coding skills". Citizen Digital. 2024-01-05. Retrieved 2024-02-12.
- ^ Janga, Edwina Sia (March 14, 2022). "Sia Bayoh Talks About Mainstreaming Vulnerable Women in Education". allAfrica.com; AllAfrica Global Media – via Gale (publisher).
- ^ "Our Team - Pan African Chamber of Commerce". 2023-12-10. Archived from the original on December 10, 2023. Retrieved 2024-06-05.
- ^ "Kenyans speak out against widow-cleansing tradition". Al Jazeera America. April 25, 2017 – via Gale (publisher).
- ^ Ogina, Elvis. "Agency to train women in business". The Standard. Retrieved 2024-02-12.
- ^ "How I moved on after losing my husband at 15 »". 2017-03-20. Retrieved 2024-02-11.
- ^ "Nana Wanjau – Global Council for the Promotion of International Trade". Retrieved 2024-02-11.
- ^ Wanjau, Nana (2023-09-08). "Women of the Global South Are Key to the Energy Transition". Modern Diplomacy. Retrieved 2024-02-12.
- ^ "Motivational speaker Wale Akinyemi Inspires". The Star. Retrieved 2024-02-12.