The Low Bar of Becoming a Hero

“It is essential to resist the depiction of history as the work of heroic individuals in order for people today to recognize their potential agency as a part of an ever-expanding community of struggle.”

Angela Davis

I am in my thirties and when you speak about a hero to me, I think of the Marvel Universe and DC Comics. We are the generation that saw these heroes come to life on our screens and become part and parcel of our culture. Therefore, my standards for being a hero are quite high. High because according to me heroes need to do extraordinary things to inspire us to become better people.

I was chosen as a TIP Report Hero 2020 and it’s against the backdrop above that I reflect on this award. I question whether my work is heroic and whether my work needs to be called heroic. Don't get me wrong, I am quite grateful that the work that I do and that grassroots organizations do with minimal resources is being recognized. However, my question is whether this work is heroic and when we call it heroic what the implications are.

I have been a huge critic of the NGO industry complex and how the institutions I work for have co-opted activism and institutionalised activism. Growing up, I have seen Kenyans slowly give up their responsibility to hold the government accountable and fight injustice in their communities. These responsibilities have been delegated to activists because the assumption is that foreign governments pay activists to do the work. People don't see that the responsibility of making the world a better place as one that belongs to all of us. People rarely see the concept of activism as simply being an everyday engagement as a person.

NGOs made activism a profession and I struggle with that. I struggle with the fact that people can see injustice and walk away because they believe there is someone else responsible for fixing injustice. I struggle with being called a hero because what I have done is the work of an active citizen and we shouldn't be applauding people for the basic actions of being an active citizen.

The idea of a single hero also creates the illusion that I am special and that I did this. In reality, no one can be a hero by themselves. The work that I did to get recognition is the fruit of the labour of several people not mentioned when I was honoured and its only right that I honour those people here on my page. I would like to say a special thank you to my parents without whom my own existence would not be possible. My parents taught me about values and how important it is that I live my values, and this is a lesson I have carried into my work as an activist. I am a firm believer of the personal being political. Our values only matter when they are lived through us and my parents taught me that it is hypocritical when you only speak about these values and they are not reflected in our lives.

The second group that has been quite influential is my friends. Friends are the family that we choose, and I have been quite lucky to have a tribe of people that have believed in me and believed in the causes I fight for. Without the support of my close friends who have provided both emotional and professional support, I would not be who I am neither would I have achieved what I have.

I attach the video to my speech here. If this award does anything, I would like it to highlight the important work that grassroot organizations do and the fact that they need urgent support especially now during the pandemic.

Sophie Otiende speech for being named a Trafficking In Persons Report Hero 2020, by the US Department of State.