Edel Quinn Odongo is a Kenyan citizen. She was born in the Rift Valley province in a city called Eldoret. She came from a staunch Christian background and her father worked for the church for a long time. He was the Education Secretary. His work involved setting up secondary schools for children from disadvantaged families who could not access proper education in high school due to lack of school fees. The church took responsibility for providing education to such children through those schools. Her father did his work so well that after the first 10 years of his work he had set a record of putting up 27 high schools for the children from disadvantaged families. The Vatican recognized his work and he was crowned by Pope Pius with a Golden Medal.

Edel's parents have been her role models since her childhood. They were always generous to the disadvantaged and Edel learned how to be charitable right from the time she was young. She is a single mother with one daughter although she looks after an orphan as well. Edel is a college graduate and her professional background is Social Work. She chose that training because she enjoys touching lives. After that training she worked for organizations involved with street children in various parts of Nairobi city where she is still working now. While working with street children she realized that the main problems that those children are faced with could be avoided if their mothers are empowered holistically. Many of their mothers were very poor and could not provide basic needs to their children and nobody was ready to listen to them since they had numerous problems to deal with. Many of them were illiterate, single mothers who had lost hope in life and they were just living carelessly. For instance, many of them became involved in prostitution and eventually were infected with HIV/AIDS. Many lost their lives and left their children orphaned. Edel buried many of these women before deciding to switch from just helping the street children to empowering the disadvantaged women.

Due to their numerous problems, Edel felt that the best way was to change mindsets first before empowering them economically. She also wanted to pay attention to every individual woman. With the assistance of students from Notre Dame University Edel has managed to give education and financial assistance to eighty of the Kibera women living in the Kibera Slum. Currently seven of the women have worked their way out of the slum and are living very comfortable lives and providing basic needs to their children without relying on any man.

When all is said and done Edel feels that this course to empower the disadvantaged women has been worth the effort because she has seen results, although she must admit that the work has not been easy with very little funding only from students. Edel is the only staff doing all of the work, but all in all she is incredibly encouraged by the way the women are ready to change their lives.