Wanjeri Nderu (born 1979) is a human rights activist from Kenya.

Biography

Nderu was born in 1979 and grew up in Nairobi. She attended Racecourse Primary School in Kariakor, Mountain View Academy in Thika and then Kahuhia Girls High School. Her political awareness began in childhood, when her estate was attacked as part of the 'Saba Saba' riots. She studied broadcast journalism at the Kenya Institute of Mass Communications, before beginning a career in 2005 in the insurance industry. In 2013 Nderu left the insurance industry with the idea of volunteering for social justice organisations for one year. It was this period that kick started her activism. To fund her activism and support her family she is a self-employed communications consultant for third sector organisations. She is

Kikuyu Kikuyu or Gikuyu (Gĩkũyũ) mostly refers to an ethnic group in Kenya or its associated language. It may also refer to: *Kikuyu people, a majority ethnic group in Kenya *Kikuyu language, the language of Kikuyu people *Kikuyu, Kenya, a town in Centr ...

and is married with four children.

Activism

Nderu sees herself as a social justice crusader, working to shed light on many injustices in Kenya. She uses social media to mobilise people and often campaigns on issues that have fallen through the gaps between NGOs, such as the rape of male minors. She has run several campaigns online, including
#StopExtraJudicialKillings#FreeSSudan4
as well as campaigning for free and peaceful elections. She has been harassed in person and online on many occasions. In 2014 she was arrested for attending a peaceful protest against higher wages for politicians in Kenya. In 2015 she was attacked by a man in a shopping centre, which left her face swollen ad bruised. She came close to losing her eye. Nderu believes she was attacked because she had been speaking out about corruption in Kenya, at the centre, as well as online. In 2017 she was followed home by an unmarked vehicle, which forced her to leave her car elsewhere, escape through a cafe and get a taxi home. The #JusticeForKhadija case, which Nderu was involved in, highlighted the roles that women in particular play at the level of grassroots activism in Kenya. In 2018, Nderu joined the

University of York , mottoeng = On the threshold of wisdom , established = , type = Public research university , endowment = £8.0 million , budget = £403.6 million , chancellor = Heather Melville , vice_chancellor = Charlie Jeffery , students ...

on a Human Rights Defenders Fellowship, with the goal in mind to learn how to create space and systems for mental health wellbeing for activists in Kenya. She also hosted an event for

International Human Rights Day Human Rights Day is list of minor secular observances#December, celebrated annually around the world on 10 December every year. The date was chosen to honor the United Nations General Assembly's adoption and proclamation, on 10 December 1948, ...

at the British Foreign and Commonwealth Office. Earlier in the year she and other human rights activists took the Kenya government to court over corruption within state-owned companies - the campaign was called Stop These Thieves On Your Own. In 2019 she participated in the University of Birmingham Report on gender-based violence in Kenya, highlighting her experiences as an activist.Bradbury-Jones, C. and Weber, S., Experiences with participatory research and perspectives on ethical research partnerships on Gender Based Violence in Kenya. https://www.researchdatashare.org/sites/default/files/artifacts/media/pdf/report_on_kenya_interviews_final_2.pdf

Awards

* International Anti-Corruption Day Awards, 2016 - ''Integrity Award'' * Protective Fellowships for Human Rights Defenders, 2018 - ''Fellowship''

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nderu, Wanjeri Living people Year of birth uncertain Kenyan women Kenyan women's rights activists Kenyan human rights activists Kenyan activists York University alumni Social media influencers 1979 births