![Kenyan music artist and Goodwill Ambassador Mercy Masika Muguro performs for UNHCR staff and refugees at Kakuma.](/20200212222408im_/https://www.unhcr.org/thumb2/5d08e4e83.jpg)
Mercy Masika
About Mercy
Mercy has been supporting UNHCR since 2017 and was appointed a Goodwill Ambassador in June 2019
Mercy Masika is a Kenyan award-winning gospel singer, songwriter and composer. For close to two years Mercy has supported UNHCR’s LuQuLuQu campaign that challenges negative perceptions of refugees in the region. 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.
Mercy spoke and performed at the first ever TEDx event held in a refugee camp – TEDxKakumaCamp in June 2018 where she shared with the audience how her faith affirms her commitment in advocating and supporting people forced to flee. She also performed at Kenya’s World Refugee Day celebrations both in Nairobi in June 2018 and in Kakuma Camp in June 2019. And in early 2019, Mercy represented UNHCR and performed at the US National Prayer Breakfast in Washington, D.C.
Central to Mercy’s passion to support refugees is spotlighting the resilience and courage of refugee women and children. In September 2017, during her visit to Kakuma refugee camp, Mercy had the opportunity to meet with and listen to the personal journeys of women and children fleeing war and conflict. During her visit to the camp, she also learnt about UNHCR’s operations and programmes in providing emergency relief, shelter, education and vocational training to the refugees and asylum-seekers.