In 2019, Blood:Water launched two awards to recognize and celebrate excellence and service within our partner community: the Leader of the Year Award and the Community Hero of the Year Award.

At Blood:Water, we recognize our partners as the true experts in their work. We trust in the power of community-led development; where local organizations identify and share the solutions that best serve their people. This belief gave rise to the Community Hero of the Year Award which empowers our partners to celebrate unsung heroes within their communities; such as staff members, community leaders, health workers, peer counsellors or volunteers who are going above and beyond to create lasting change.

The Leader of the Year Award, on the other hand, recognizes exceptional steward-leadership among senior leaders within our community of partners . Author and educator Brené Brown, in her book Dare to Lead, calls for a new kind of leadership, stating, “We desperately need more leaders who are committed to courageous leadership and who are self-aware enough to lead from their hearts.” Blood:Water seeks to honor and uplift such leadership through the Leader of the Year Award.

These awards celebrate not only leadership in title but also in action, acknowledging those who serve with unwavering dedication and commitment to their communities.

2024 Community Hero of the Year

In 2024, the Community Hero of the Year Award was awarded to Joyce Maingi, a nutritionist from Beacon of Hope whose work is transforming the lives of families in Kajiado County, one of the 47 counties in Kenya.

Joyce is the Head of the Nutrition Department at Beacon of Hope Hospital. While her primary role is to offer nutritional counseling at the hospital, she has chosen to go above and beyond, taking her services directly to households. She visits homes, trains families in organic farming and distributes seeds to help them establish kitchen gardens. With unwavering commitment, Joyce has dedicated her career to combating food insecurity and malnutrition in the Kajiado area.

While receiving the award, Joyce humbly shared:

“I’m truly honored to receive this award. I never imagined that such small acts could lead to this. This award is not mine alone: it belongs to every child, every mother, and every community member who has allowed me to serve them. I am deeply grateful for all the support.”

Leadership expert John Maxwell once said, “The best place for a leader isn’t always the top position. It isn’t the most prominent or powerful place. It’s the place where he or she can serve the best and add the most value to other people. Great leadership means great service.”

Joyce is a true testament of this kind of leadership, and Blood:Water is excited to honor her work through the Community Hero Award.

2024 Leader of the Year Award

The Leader of the Year Award 2024 was presented to Ephy Imbali, Executive Director of the Community Asset Building and Development Agency (CABDA). Ephy is an outstanding leader who leads with humility, grace, and a deep passion for her community. Her humility as a servant leader who is consistently learning, her attentive listening, and her courageous vulnerability to seek support as a step toward growth, are truly commendable—an embodiment of authentic, steward leadership.

Ephy’s dedication to growth and hard work has empowered her team to thrive and brought about meaningful, sustainable change in the communities they serve. Under her leadership, CABDA has developed a compelling mission and model, supported by a highly committed team devoted to community transformation. Her commitment to the community CABDA serves -while working with the community as equals- inspires and drives community driven impact which has made her a standout leader across our partner network.

While receiving her award, Ephy shared:

“I was not expecting this- it’s just by the grace of God. I want to say that I’m receiving this award on behalf of my family that has stood with me in prayers, in encouraging me, in being there for me, and the staff who have contributed towards the work of CABDA, who have been chosen, who have been appointed, who have been set apart, and who have worked with passion, with a lot of commitment and grace without looking at their positions, without being interested in fame, without being interested in money, which is what has brought us to receive this award. I’m receiving it on behalf of CABDA as well.”

Blood:Water is proud to recognize Ephy’s contribution and selfless dedication to making a difference in her community for the past 20 years.

Conclusion

Blood:Water exists to strengthen and resource local, community-led organizations on the frontlines ending health disparities across East and Southern Africa. We are honored to stand shoulder to shoulder with selfless and exceptional leaders such as Joyce and Ephy who are leading in advancing the resilience and health of their communities.

To all our nominees, winners, and partner organizations—thank you for your commitment to making a difference. We are excited to continue partnering with you to bring change to communities.

(Featured Image: Joyce Maingi celebrates her Community Hero Award by cutting cake, joined by her family, Beacon of Hope Executive Director Jane Wathome, and Blood:Water staff.)