Humanitarian, Community Development and Strategist [Kenya]

Umra Omar is a renowned humanitarian, health advocate, and social entrepreneur from Pate Island in Kenya’s Lamu Archipelago. After completing her graduate studies in the United States and working in Washington, DC, she returned to Kenya in 2010 to address critical healthcare challenges in rural and underserved communities.

In 2015, Umra founded Safari Doctors, a community-based social enterprise committed to delivering healthcare to marginalized populations in remote regions. Driven by the belief that access to healthcare is a fundamental human right, Safari Doctors provides innovative, community-driven solutions, reaching over 2,000 patients monthly across 24 villages in the Lamu region.

Umra’s transformative work has garnered widespread recognition. She was named a CNN Hero in 2016 and received the Africa Leaders 4 Change award in 2017. She was also featured in Business Daily’s Top 40 Under 40 Women list and won the United Nations in Kenya Person of the Year award. In 2019, she was a finalist for the Robert Burns Humanitarian Award and served as a 2019-2020 Aurora Forum Goodwill Ambassador.

She is a World Economic Forum Young Global Leader (2019-2023), a Segal Family Foundation Africa Visionary Fellow, and a member of the Western Indian Ocean Conservation Leadership Initiative. During the 2020 World Humanitarian Day, she was recognized as a Real Life Hero by the United Nations and was named a Kenyan National Hero on National Heroes’ Day in October 2020. Most recently, she was selected as an Ashoka Fellow, further solidifying her status as a leader in social innovation.

In 2022, Umra became the first female gubernatorial candidate in Lamu County, showcasing her commitment to advancing leadership and governance in Kenya.

Through her work, Umra Omar continues to inspire and champion healthcare equity, environmental conservation, and inclusive leadership for marginalized communities in Kenya and beyond.