Mercy Masika
Mercy Masika
Kenyan music artist and Goodwill Ambassador Mercy Masika Muguro performs for UNHCR staff and refugees at Kakuma.
About Mercy
Kenyan award-winning gospel singer, songwriter and composer Mercy Masika has been a steadfast supporter of UNHCR and the LuQuLuQu campaign since 2017 and in June 2019, Mercy was announced as a Goodwill Ambassador for UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency - the first Kenyan to receive this title.
For over four years Mercy has supported the LuQuLuQu campaign which challenges negative perceptions of refugees in the region. Early in her journey as a LuQuLuQu High Level Influencer, Mercy visited Kakuma refugee camp in 2017 where she had the oppurtunity to meet with refugee women and children and learn about UNHCR's work. She returned to Kakuma in 2019 where she visited schools and advocated for an increase in support for refugees. She said "I have been most inspired by the strength of the women, many of whom have undergone traumatic ordeals...it is listening to these experiences that continues to affirm my committment to advocate for their wellbeing''.
Mercy has channeled her advocay committment through various UNHCR initiatives. She first helped launch the LuQuLuQu campaign across Kenya in late 2017 and then actively championed LuQuLuQu’s pan-African charity walk, Step for Safety that kicked off in Nairobi in September 2018. In the winter of 2018, she called upon her supporters to help provide emergency relief to families fleeing conflict in Africa with LuQuLuQu’s Christmas campaign.
In June 2018 Mercy spoke and performed at the first ever TEDx event held in a refugee camp – TEDxKakumaCamp where she shared with the audience how her faith affirms her commitment in advocating and supporting people forced to flee. In early 2019, Mercy represented UNHCR and performed at the US National Prayer Breakfast in Washington, D.C.
On World Refugee Day in 2020, Mery performed in a virtual event hosted by UNHCR Kenya. She also performed at Kenya's World Refugee Day celebrations both in Nairobi in June 2018 and in Kakuma Camp in June 2019.
