Sheila Sheldon is not your ordinary little girl. At 10 years, she boasts of not only having but utilising all her talents, a true jerk of all trades and a master of all. She is a great painter, a model, a poet, and a designer.
According to her website, the child prodigy has modelled in renown stages, drawn notable people and dressed the elites like the head of state, Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko and Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni.
“I don’t know why I draw but I know its a God-given ability. I designed for President Uhuru Kenyatta. I designed him a shirt.
“I started drawing when I was five when my teacher told my mother I had a talent in drawing and she started nurturing me. I also teach other children because if you have a talent, you don’t claim it,” Sheldon stated in an interview with BBC in August 2018.
Through her talents, she alongside community members in Mombasa County founded the Sheilah Sheldon Arts for Social Change, which aids her in impacting lives of children suffering from neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs). The disorders include autism spectrum disorders, Down syndrome, as well as cerebral palsy.
She also speaks about the plight of African women through her art and also campaigns for woman rights and equality.
“I paint women because of the suffering they go through. I saw my mum suffer after she had a surgery,” she stated in the interview with BBC.
Her zeal and determination to uplift society has earned her numerous recognitions.
She holds the Tese Foundation Youngest Lioness Award and on January 7, she won the Global Child Prodigy Award while representing Kenya.
The ceremony was held in New Delhi, India and it is he’d annually to celebrate phenomenal children who work hard to realise their dreams.
“Thank you all for your support. I am glad I could fly the Kenyan Flag High. From the bottom of my heart thank you for your support,” she stated after receiving the award.
Sheldon is also a brand ambassador for Bonfire Adventures and Skyward Express (a flight company).
