About Us

Olive International’s story began in 2007 with the story of a king called David who had been overthrown by his son, Absalom. As I read that story, I was captivated by the significance of the Mount of Olives and why it was he wept, with his head covered, as he went up this mountain, barefoot. In that instance, I knew that if I was ever to start a youth organization, its name would either be Olives or Olive.

Earlier on, I had been unsettled about our dependence as Africans on the Western world to make a difference in our lives. I often asked myself, “Why can’t we just do what we ought to do, in our settings, and make a difference, especially because we have the resources?”

The birth of Olive International began after a series of events: my dad’s death on April 25, 2012; a youth monthly prayer breakfast meeting that started on May 25, 2012 (which ran for two years; and Sunday youth meetings in my house which began in August 2012 until September 2014. In November 2012 I resigned from my work assignment at the International Leadership University (ILU) in response to the calling in my heart: to reach out to young people.

The journey had begun and there was no stopping it. On May 23, 2013 Olive International was registered as a non-governmental organization by the NGO Coordination Board. We are mandated to work in the following five counties: Nairobi, Mombasa, Machakos, Eldoret and Bungoma. 

Currently, we have had contact with over 1000 young men and women in diverse settings, including countries such as Seychelles, Nigeria and the United States. While Olive International’s work has always taken on a “behind-the-scene” approach we are confident that each young person has been adequately equipped to influence their communities in this generation.