Reuters AlertNet Lite - KENYA: UN honours Red Cross chief

Reuters AlertNet Full site

NEWSDESK

KENYA: UN honours Red Cross chief

24 Oct 2007 16:39:54 GMT
Source: IRIN

NAIROBI, 24 October 2007 (IRIN) - Kenya Red Cross Society (KRCS) secretary-general Abbas Gullet has been given the UN in Kenya Person of the Year 2007 award for his work in reforming the organisation into a successful and partly self-financing operation.

Gullet received the accolade as part of celebrations to mark UN Day at the UN headquarters in Nairobi on 24 October.

UN resident coordinator and UNFPA representative Mustafa Kemal said Gullet was honoured for his personal commitment in making the KRCS a world-class humanitarian agency.

"This award is for the thousands of dedicated and selfless staff and volunteers who have given their lives to serve Kenyans in need," Gullet said.

In 2001, when Gullet was appointed, the society was heavily in debt and had lost credibility among its membership. Today, the KRCS says it is a leading humanitarian agency, partly self-financing and operating through a network of 58 branches and 69,000 volunteers countrywide.

Gullet attributes the revival to good governance and transparency and has challenged local and national NGOs to do the same.

He becomes the sixth individual to receive the UN annual award for achievements and contributions towards the Millennium Development Goals.

fk/sr/mw

Email this article Send comments

Members

• American Red Cross - USA

MORE >>

Countries

Small country map
© 2004 Europa Technologies Ltd.

Reset map

• Kenya profile
· View map

MORE >>

NGO latest

• Creating sustainable access to health care for women and children in rural Kenya
DOW

• Displaced by conflict, then floods, in Uganda
Red Cross - UK

• Belgium: Experts debate the regulation of weapons in warfare
ICRC - Switzerland

• TV News Footage - Ghosts from the past hamper Chechnya's revival
ICRC - Switzerland

• World Concern Appoints Africa Area Director
World Concern - USA

MORE >>

Latest news

• GLOBAL: Agencies "waste money on poor fleet management"

• KENYA: UN honours Red Cross chief

• Kenyan tourism urged to act on global warming

• Saudi Arabia invites Somali leaders for mediation

• "Executed" corpses in Kenyan bush terrify villagers

MORE >>

Last updated:Wed Oct 24 16:43:43 2007