Meet the Team

Sophie Otiende

Founder

Sophie is a survivor leader, a teacher, and a feminist who has worked within the human trafficking field for a number of years revolutionising the ways in which survivors are supported, protected, and involved within the counter-trafficking movement. She has been widely acknowledged for her work being named a Trafficking in Persons Hero by the US State Department in 2020. While work takes up a lot of Sophie’s time, she also loves to spend time with her family and friends. Her friends know that she sucks at board games even though she hasn’t quite recognised that herself, she still never shies away from a challenge. Sophie is also passionate about fashion, art, African literature and arguing about current affairs with her partner and she also regularly meets with her feminist collectives in Nairobi.

Wanjiku Mwangi

Co-Managing Director

Faith is our Co-Managing Director, who oversees all of Azadi’s activities, programmes, and projects. She makes sure that they all adhere to our values and mission as an organisation. She maintains that bird’s eye view with dignity, warmth, and a smile, as she lends a supportive hand to everyone in the team, making sure we’re doing well. She is incredibly smart, passionate, and diligent in her work, and is such a reliable force at Azadi. Her support and willingness to help never goes unnoticed, and is truly a testament to her dedication to Azadi, our work, and every single person she engages at work. Her bubbly, charismatic, empathetic nature always shines through to anyone lucky enough to be in a room with her.

Mariam Awori

Co-Managing Director

Mariam is dedicated to fostering a sense of community and empowerment. She radiates warmth and compassion in every interaction. With her background in psychology, she possesses an innate ability to empathize, offering a listening ear and genuine support to community survivor leaders. She thrives on building meaningful relationships and ensuring the collective voice of our members is heard. Her actions consistently reflect a deep concern for the well-being of others. Whether through small gestures or significant acts of kindness, she creates an atmosphere of care and love, making those around her feel valued and understood. Mariam is one of the funniest people you will meet but half the time she is not trying to be funny and she has no idea she is.

Lizzy Omamo

Operations Manager

Lizzy is our admin and HR powerhouse, whose diligence, reliability, and attention to detail reads through everything she does. She truly does a lot to ensure that the foundation of Azadi functions effortlessly and in accordance with our values. Her gentleness and kindness have persevered and are true to her character, but in her time with Azadi we have really seen her push herself to use her voice and become the leader we always saw in her. This reflects as she spends her free time volunteering in schools and homes. She is passionate about children and marginalised communities, always supporting those she cares about with kindness, compassion, and loyalty.

Agnes Akinyi

Finance Manager

Agnes is in charge of all of our financial needs making sure that all of us stay within the budget and that all of our finances are handled with care and focus on what matters most. Her work highlights her attention to detail, diligence, and experience with financial matters. She is a major reliable character with Azadi, who we can always count on to produce quality results with all the details in order. Despite the occasional antics and craziness of the team, Agnes is always level-headed, calm, and with her head firmly set on her values and beliefs. Her warmth, reliability, and dedication are never missed, and she provides such steadiness and comfort to the rest of the team. Her favourite quote is “in a world where you can be anything, be kind”, which she always lives to the fullest.

Peter Olewe

Program Manager -Knowledge production ,and sharing

Peter supports the organization in Knowledge Production, Learning, and Sharing. Peter brings on board over 10 years of experience in community organizing, research, monitoring, and evaluation. Peter believes in designing interventions that are conscious of the needs of the vulnerable. Peter is also a social justice activist who champions for a fair world for everybody. Peter thrives well in supporting members and learning from them on how to become a better human being.

Michael Onyaga

Program Manager -Safeguarding and Wellbeing portfolio

Michael is a passionate advocate for mental health, currently making waves as the Programs Manager for Safeguarding and Wellbeing at Azadi Kenya. In this role, he’s on the front lines of the battle against modern-day slavery and human trafficking, where he combines his psychological expertise with a deep commitment to human dignity. Michael’s approach is anything but conventional; he’s a dynamic leader who thrives on innovation and collaboration, always pushing the boundaries of what’s possible in mental health care.
With years of diverse experience, Michael has proven himself in roles that have seen him lead transformative interventions in the education sector, mentor emerging mental health professionals, and establish wellness programs that have become blueprints for others to follow. At Azadi , he is not just managing programs, he is redefining how mental health is woven into the fabric of human rights advocacy.
Michael's journey is driven by an unwavering belief that mental well-being is a cornerstone of personal and societal freedom. His work is about more than just solving problems; it’s about creating spaces where people can heal, grow, and reclaim their lives. Whether he’s in a boardroom strategizing or on the ground engaging with communities, Michael brings a rare combination of insight, empathy, and unrelenting drive to everything he does.

Miriam Chao

Resource Center Manager

Miriam is our Resource Centre Manager. She is responsible for ensuring that our resource centre is a safe place for all of us. She ensures that all the operations and activities in the resource centre run efficiently. She is also an enthusiastic photographer and communicator, passionate about sustainable development and advancing human rights for people of lived experience. Though her personality is introverted, you can always count on her support and kindness.

Board Of Directors

At Azadi Community, our Board of Directors is a collective of bold, visionary leaders committed to feminist principles, survivor-centered approaches and transformative justice. With diverse expertise spanning advocacy, governance and lived experience, they provide strategic oversight that keeps our mission grounded in care, accountability and collective leadership, ensuring the Azadi Community continues to center survivors in building a just and liberated future.