{"id":119335,"date":"2025-08-06T14:06:30","date_gmt":"2025-08-06T14:06:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/index.php\/2025\/08\/06\/a-legacy-of-service-to-children-cwsk-pays-glowing-tribute-to-phoebe-asiyo\/"},"modified":"2025-08-06T14:06:30","modified_gmt":"2025-08-06T14:06:30","slug":"a-legacy-of-service-to-children-cwsk-pays-glowing-tribute-to-phoebe-asiyo","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/a-legacy-of-service-to-children-cwsk-pays-glowing-tribute-to-phoebe-asiyo\/","title":{"rendered":"A legacy of service to children: CWSK pays glowing tribute to Phoebe Asiyo"},"content":{"rendered":"

NAIROBI, Kenya Aug 6 \u2013 Tributes continue to pour in for trailblazing politician and women\u2019s rights champion Dr. Phoebe Asiyo, who will be buried this Friday at her home in Wikondiek Village, Homa Bay County.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Her distinguished service to the country in various capacities lives on, with the Child Welfare Society of Kenya (CWSK) honouring her legacy as a pioneer of child rights.<\/p>\n

Asiyo, who passed away on July 16 at the age of 90 in North Carolina, USA, served as the Chief Executive Officer of the Society from 1969 to 1980. She succeeded the late Pamela Mboya, who stepped down following the tragic assassination of her husband, Thomas Joseph Mboya, on July 5, 1969.<\/p>\n

The CEO and Managing Trustee of the Child Welfare Society of Kenya, Irene Mureithi, described Mama Phoebe Asiyo as a towering figure in the field of child care and protection, noting that she played a pivotal role in the development of child welfare systems in Kenya.<\/p>\n

Ms Mureithi highlighted that Asiyo\u2019s visionary leadership significantly expanded the Society\u2019s reach to vulnerable children across the country.<\/p>\n

\u201cIf one were to crown a person as the embodiment of love, protection and unwavering concern for the welfare of Kenya\u2019s children, Dr. Phoebe Muga Asiyo would wear that crown with unmatched grace\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cWe honour and celebrate the life of a distinguished and devoted life member of Child Welfare Society of Kenya (CWSK), colleague, and mentor. Dr Asiyo dedicated herself whole-heartedly to the Society\u2019s mission to promote and secure the rights of children and vulnerable young persons, enabling them to realise their full potential\u201d, she mourned the revered public servant.<\/p>\n

She highlighted her deep commitment to orphaned, abandoned and at-risk children helped shape Kenya\u2019s adoption and family-based care frameworks that laid the foundation for progressive child protection.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe personally received children from across the country, addressed their needs, including helping to place some of them in families. She also served as Guardian Ad Litem (representing children interests in court) for many of them\u201d, she revealed.<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

One of the key milestones under her stewardship, Ms Mureithi states, was the approval of CWSK as an Adoption Society, mandated to provide adoption, guardianship and foster care services on behalf of the government.<\/p>\n

\u201cShe was a strong advocate for the sector and actively lobbied for increased government funding for children\u2019s services, including a personal appeal to then President Mwai Kibaki to increase funding for CWSK\u2014an appeal that was effected in the 2010 national budget\u201d, she said.<\/p>\n

Dr Asiyo\u2019s zeal and advocacy for children rights shaped the Society\u2019s early policy and advocacy efforts the organisation emphasizes brought compassion and boldness to her role, often challenging societal norms and legislative gaps that left children and women unprotected.<\/p>\n

\u201cHer vision was simple, yet profound: every child deserves a safe, nurturing, and loving home. Even after transitioning into the demanding world of politics, her commitment to the wellbeing of Kenya\u2019s children remained unchanged\u201d she adds.<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

Long after her tenure at CWSK, Dr Asiyo continued to be a guiding presence mentoring me personally and steadfastly championing her bold, compassionate vision for the welfare of children.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs we reflect on her extraordinary life, we are reminded that true leadership is selfless service to humanity. Mama Phoebe served with grace, wisdom and purpose\u201d she said as she extended her heartfelt condolences to her family, friends and all whose lives she touched.<\/p>\n

She will also be remembered for giving thousands of disadvantaged children families and temporary shelter from the Coast at Mji Wa Salama in Mombasa to Eastern at the Children\u2019s Homes in Isiolo and Embu.<\/p>\n

<\/a><\/p>\n

From the Rift Valley she opened the Nakuru\u2019s Arap Moi Children\u2019s Home to Kanduyi Children\u2019s Home in Bungoma, Western Kenya; from Mama Ngina Children\u2019s Home in Nairobi to Nyanza at Kisii Children\u2019s Home and Mama Ngina Children\u2019s Home, Kisumu.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou gave thousands of disadvantaged children not just care, but a reason to live. Many of them are now accomplished men and women in Kenya and beyond, while others are still being nurtured in the very institutions you helped build\u2014places rooted in your values of professionalism, compassion and love\u201d, Ms Mureithi said.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

NAIROBI, Kenya Aug 6 \u2013 Tributes continue to pour in for trailblazing politician and women\u2019s rights champion Dr. Phoebe Asiyo, who will be buried this Friday at her home in Wikondiek Village, Homa Bay County. Her distinguished service to the country in various capacities lives on, with the Child Welfare Society of Kenya (CWSK) honouring […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":0,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-119335","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","entry"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/119335","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=119335"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/119335\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=119335"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=119335"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/chezaspin.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=119335"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}