Building Peace in Kenya … By Rescuing Youth

Reformed robber and teenaged terrorism recruit, Queen; Shamsa Abubakar Fadhil, internationally recognized community peace organizer based in Mombasa, Kenya Description: Queen describes the situation that caused her to turn to crime to support her sibling. She describes her narrow escape from becoming a terrorist fighter for Somalia-based Al Shabaab, plus a number of different techniques she and her associates used for robbery, and how getting a government job and support from Mama Shamsa made it possible for her to earn a legitimate living. Mama Shamsa describes how she came to receive the Zayed Award for Human Fraternity in Abu Dhabi, and give many details of how she builds community and interfaith dialogue and collaboration that has made a tremendous difference in the safety of her part of the world; but also how Al Shabaab continues to evolve in its terrorist recruitment techniques. 

Credits: Interviews and production by Diana Wanyonyi; series producer, Frieda Werden. Opening audio clip from Shamsa’s acceptance speech for the Zayed Award, https://zayedaward.org/en/ceremonies