Khadija Omar Rama

From the age of 24, Khadija Omar Rama led an immediate and very personal response to caring for people living with HIV/AIDS who had been abandoned by their families and ostracized by the community. Her efforts have been acclaimed both nationally internationally by CNN Anchor Christianne Amanpour and the Kenyan Government. Khadija received Woman of the Year award from United Nations Kenya in 2005 and Kenyan Head of State’s Commendation and Title of Honor in 2006 for her outstanding contribution to peace and reconciliation. In 2011 she was nominated as one of six women in Kenya for the Humanitarian Award, marking her long-standing efforts in fighting against the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Isiolo. “It is not an easy task to restore dignity to minority communities and enable them to feel empowered. We have many tools to use, but first must come our humanism. I am always curious to see how we all meet the challenge.”