Obama serves as the executive chairwoman of Sauti Kuu Foundation (Strong Voices Foundation), a non-profit organisation that helps orphans and other young people struggling with poverty in Kenya.

[10] Obama worked for five years in Kenya with the international charity CARE International as the organization’s East Africa Coordinator before starting her own charity, Sauti Kuu Foundation, sometimes referred to as Auma Obama Foundation.

This foundation (the 1st wealthiest Swiss charitable organization), with its registered office in Zürich, provides funding and support worldwide and has an annual funding budget amounting to approximately CHF 35 million ($ 33.66 million in 2010) for projects benefiting young people and their integration into society.

In 2017, Obama was honoured with the fourth International TÜV Rheinland Global Compact Award in Cologne.

[14] At the award ceremony, she received a specially made bronze sculpture Der Griff nach den Sternen (Reaching for the stars) by artist Hannes Helmke.

[15] Obama is the author of the book And Then Life Happens, released in 2012 by St. Martin's Press.