Case study: Brenda Reynolds and Kennedy Odede, standing up for human rights

Case study: Brenda Reynolds and Kennedy Odede, standing up for human rights | Photo: Joseph Corl

The United Nations’ 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, with its 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), serves as a global blueprint for tackling poverty, inequality, and environmental degradation.

At its core, the agenda champions equity, community empowerment, and resilience, values exemplified by Brenda Reynolds and Kennedy Odede, the 2025 Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela Prize laureates. Their work addresses systemic challenges through grassroots action and trauma-informed care, aligning with SDGs such as Good Health and Well-Being (SDG 3), Reduced Inequalities (SDG 10), and Sustainable Cities and Communities (SDG 11).

By fostering inclusive systems and empowering marginalised groups, their efforts illuminate pathways to a sustainable global society. Addressing these issues is critical: the UN estimates that 8.1% of the global population, roughly 660 million people, still live in extreme poverty, while mental health disorders affect 1 in 8 people worldwide, often exacerbated by systemic inequities.

Brenda Reynolds: Healing through trauma-informed care

Advancing indigenous rights and mental health

Brenda Reynolds, a Status Treaty member of the Fishing Lake Saulteaux First Nation in Saskatchewan, Canada, has dedicated decades to advancing Indigenous rights and mental health. Her work addresses the intergenerational trauma caused by Canada’s Indian Residential School system, a policy of cultural assimilation that affected over 150,000 Indigenous children between the 1830s and 1990s. In 1988, Reynolds supported 17 teenage girls in Saskatchewan’s first residential school sexual abuse case, a pivotal moment that catalysed Canada’s largest class-action lawsuit, the Indian Residential Schools Settlement Agreement. This landmark agreement, finalized in 2006, provided reparations to survivors and established the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC).

As a special adviser to the TRC, Reynolds shaped the Indian Residential School Resolution Health Support Program, a national initiative delivering culturally grounded mental health care to survivors and their families. Her approach integrates traditional Indigenous practices with modern therapeutic frameworks, aligning with SDG 3’s focus on mental health and well-being. In 2023, her expertise earned her an invitation from the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights and the European Union to address trauma and cultural genocide, underscoring her global influence. According to the World Health Organization, culturally sensitive mental health interventions can improve outcomes by up to 30% in marginalised communities, highlighting the technical efficacy of Reynolds’ model.

Kennedy Odede: empowering communities in Kibera

Transforming slums through grassroots innovation

Kennedy Odede, founder and CEO of Shining Hope for Communities (SHOFCO), has transformed Kenya’s Kibera slum, home to over 250,000 people, into a model of community-led development. Having lived in Kibera for 23 years after becoming a street child at age 10, Odede’s journey began with a simple act: saving factory earnings to buy a soccer ball, fostering community cohesion through sport. This initiative grew into SHOFCO, now operating in 68 Kenyan locations and serving over 2.4 million people annually with services like clean water, education, and gender-based violence response.

SHOFCO’s impact aligns with SDG 11’s emphasis on inclusive and sustainable urbanisation. Its aerial clean water system, for instance, delivers safe drinking water to densely populated slums, addressing a critical need: UN-Habitat reports that 29% of urban populations in low-income countries lack access to clean water. SHOFCO’s programs also tackle SDG 5 (Gender Equality) by supporting 10,000 girls’ education and resolving over 70,000 gender-based violence cases. Odede’s global influence, recognised by TIME magazine’s 2024 100 Most Influential People list and roles with USAID and the World Economic Forum, underscores the scalability of grassroots solutions.

Synergies for global goals

Reynolds and Odede’s work converges on a shared principle: sustainable change begins with local leadership. Reynolds’ trauma-informed care empowers Indigenous communities to reclaim agency, addressing SDG 10’s call to reduce inequalities. Similarly, Odede’s SHOFCO mobilises slum residents to drive change, proving that solutions rooted in lived experience are both effective and scalable. Together, their efforts reflect the UN’s 2025 Mandela Prize theme of combating poverty and inequity, with tangible outcomes: SHOFCO has secured 180,000 jobs for Kenyan youth, while Reynolds’ programs have supported thousands of survivors nationwide.

The technical edge of their approaches lies in their adaptability. Reynolds employs a trauma-informed framework, integrating psychological and cultural metrics to measure healing outcomes, while Odede’s SHOFCO uses data-driven community mapping to prioritise service delivery. These methods align with the UN’s call for evidence-based interventions, with 84% of SDG targets requiring localised data to track progress, per the UN Development Programme.

The achievements of Reynolds and Odede highlight the power of resilient communities in achieving the SDGs. Their work reminds us that sustainability is not just environmental but social, rooted in justice and inclusion. To deepen your understanding of global efforts in this space, explore the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals platform (www.un.org/sustainabledevelopment) or SHOFCO’s initiatives (www.shofco.org). Engaging with these resources can inspire action and amplify the impact of grassroots leadership in building a more equitable world.