Dickson Obonyo Okong’o
Dickson Obonyo Okong’o is a youth and peace advocate with over 12 years of experience in the development sector. He is the founder and current executive director of Stretchers Youth Organization. Dickson has a diverse educational background, currently pursuing a bachelor's degree in development studies. He also holds a diploma in community development, a certificate in organization management, and is a certified community paralegal. He is a certified Mediator. Dickson has worked with various organizations throughout his career. He served as a human rights officer at Muslims for Human Rights (MUHURI) and worked as a project assistant/facilitator at African Youth Trust. He also gained experience as an election monitor and observer at the Kenya National Commission for Human Rights. Additionally, he volunteered at Compassion International. Passionate about peace and human rights,
Dickson has been actively involved in global initiatives. He is a member of the Global Coalition on Youth, Peace, and Security, representing the voices of Kenyan youth on peace and human rights issues. He is also part of the UN Inter-Agency Network on Youth Development (IANYD) through his involvement with WG-YPB. Dickson is indeed a member of Share-Net International, a global knowledge-sharing platform focused on Sexual and Reproductive Rights and Health (SRHR) as well as HIV. Through this membership, he contributes to the sharing of knowledge and experiences with professionals in these fields. Furthermore, Dickson has made significant contributions as a youth leader in the development of the first-ever Mombasa County action plan in preventing and countering violent extremism. This manual, which covers a five-year period from 2017 to 2022, serves as a strategic guide to address the issue of violent extremism in the county. Dickson's involvement reflects his commitment to peace building and his efforts to promote alternative paths to violence among young people in Mombasa County. In his spare time, Dickson enjoys music and engages in event management as a part-time endeavor.