grantees » Philip Otieno

This grantee is still in the process of their leadership development with the JWH initiative.

Having obtained a bachelor’s degree in Chemistry and Botany in 2006 from the University of Nairobi, Philip decided not to follow the traditional path of his peers into the medical field, but to commit his career to working with CSOs in environmental conservation. As the National Coordinator and Head of the Ecology Programme for Kenya Young Greens, Philip supports sustainable regional development by focusing on the themes of ecology and peace. Philip is a clear leader in the organization, and inspires much progress in the NGO by mobilizing resources, plugging into networks, and writing policy recommendations.  

Philip and his supporters believed that although he has been quite successful in reducing vulnerability in the local environment through his work at the NGO, he had the potential leadership qualities to make an even greater impact. With this in mind, he received a JWH Initiative grant to pursue educational opportunities to provide him with tools to propel his organization even farther. Philip is currently completing a master’s degree in Environmental Policy at the University of Nairobi, where he is developing skills in research methodology, environmental assessment, and policy process. Philip says that his training thus far has given him confidence, and that he looks forward to “translating the knowledge that [he has] acquired into usable output” for his NGO and his community. He will continue in this degree program and begin thesis research on the topic of environmental valuation. At the end of his grant work, Philip hopes his education will take him one step closer in reaching his career objective of being “a leading environmental policy expert serving as a campaigner engaged in policy advocacy and capacity building”.