Two British Red Cross workers living in Ealing, Albino Ochero Okello and Amina Hussein, have been awarded MBEs in the King’s Birthday Honours in recognition of their decades of humanitarian service.
Albino Ochero Okello, from Greenford, who fled Uganda in the 1980s and rebuilt his life in the UK, has been awarded an MBE for over three decades of work with the British Red Cross’s International Family Tracing service. His work has helped people displaced by war, disaster and migration reconnect with loved ones across borders.
Mr Okello said: “I am delighted to have been recognised in the King’s Birthday Honours for my work with the British Red Cross. I couldn’t believe it when I heard I was getting the award. I was so overwhelmed. But I have to give thanks to everyone, because it wasn’t my work alone. It’s a collaboration, a network.”
Mr Okello, once separated from his own wife and children during Uganda’s internal conflict, has devoted his career to helping others in similar pain. He said: “We were helping people who had been through the same experience I had been through.”
The job, he explained, often involved painstaking investigation: tracing old addresses, knocking on doors and speaking with neighbours.
One case that stayed with him was telling a mother her two sons had died. He said: “This wasn’t the kind of information we could send in a letter. But even after hearing this awful news, she still thanked us because we had been able to bring her closure.”
A lasting memory for Mr Okello was meeting King Charles on a visit to the British Red Cross office in London, where he told the then Prince of Wales how the international family tracing team were helping people affected by war.
British Red Cross chief executive Béatrice Butsana-Sita called Mr Okello “an incredible ambassador” who exemplifies the organisation’s work. She said: “For 34 years he has been a huge figure in our London services, supporting those in search of missing loved ones. He has worked tirelessly to help families searching for loved ones through major conflicts and natural disasters, undertaking interviews, processing thousands of cases and sending crucial information overseas in the hope of finding answers.
“I am delighted to see Mr Okello rewarded for his work with an MBE in the King’s Birthday Honours list and would like to congratulate him on this amazing achievement.”
Amina Hussein, also from Ealing, and a long-serving operations manager at the British Red Cross, has likewise been awarded an MBE in recognition of over 30 years of dedicated humanitarian service.
The medal recognises her commitment to reuniting families through the International Family Tracing service and the global Restoring Family Links (RFL) network. Since 1993, she has supported people affected by conflict, disaster and migration.
Ms Hussein said: “I’m deeply honoured to receive this recognition. This work holds great meaning for me. Every day, we strive to bring hope to individuals facing some of the most challenging moments in their lives. It’s been a true privilege to support separated families and help them find their way back to one another.
“However, many more families around the world still live without news of their loved ones. This is a stark reminder of the ongoing humanitarian responsibility to continue our efforts and support those still searching for answers.”
Her work has spanned major international crises including Liberia, Rwanda, Afghanistan and Ukraine, as well as cases involving Guantanamo detainees and survivors of disasters such as Hurricane Katrina and the Boxing Day Tsunami.
British Red Cross chief executive Béatrice Butsana-Sita said: “Amina is an incredible ambassador for the British Red Cross and has been a valued staff member for 32 years in our International Family Tracing service and the global Restoring Family Links network.
“I am delighted to see Amina rewarded for her work with an MBE in the King’s Birthday Honours list and would like to congratulate her on this amazing achievement.”
