From left: KIF Co-Founders Shin Koyamada and Nia Lyte

In 2019, the creation of the Guardian Girls program was derived from Mr. Shin Koyamada, a Hollywood celebrity and martial artist expert, and his wife Nia Lyte, the women's empowerment speaker, who are co-founders of Koyamada International Foundation (KIF Global). Given their intensive backgrounds in martial arts and women's empowerment, they wanted to create a global program that benefits vulnerable girls and women to defend themselves through sports and martial arts - the birth of Guardian Girls.

Mr. Koyamada participating ICPD in Kenya
In November 2019, Mr. Koyamada have participated as a speaker to give pledges of creating a gender-based violence prevention program Guardian Girls and forming KIF Kenya, the KIF Global's first country chapter in Africa, at the ICPD (International Conference on Population and Development) "The Nairobi Summit", convened by the UNFPA (United Nations Population Fund) and governments of Denmark and Kenya in Nairobi, Kenya. During the Nairobi Summit, Mr. Koyamada met with Dr. Natalia Kanem, Executive Director of UNFPA and shared his interests in partnering with the UNFPA for the Guardian Girls at the United Nations Office at Nairobi in Nairobi.

From left: Shin Koyamada (KIF Chairman), Dr. Natalia Kanem (UNFPA Executive Director), Mariarosa Cutillo (UNFPA Chief of Strategic Partnerships)

From left: Shin Koyamada (KIF Chairman), Dr. Natalia Kanem (UNFPA Executive Director), Nia Lyte (KIF President)

Global partnership with UNFPA
In December 2019, KIF Global's President Nia Lyte has signed the historic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with UNFPA's Executive Director Natalia Kanem as a Strategic Partner to develop the Guardian Girls program globally at the UNFPA's Global Headquarters in New York. Since then, KIF Global and UNFPA begun planning to implement the Guardian Girls in Africa. Soon after, the Pandemic has hit a world.

Global partnership with WKF
In May 2022, KIF Global's Chairman Shin Koyamada has signed another historic Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the World Karate Federation (WKF)'s President Antonio Espinós to globally partner and implement the Guardian Girls through Karate. In October 2022, KIF Global's Chairman Shin Koyamada, WKF's President Antonio Espinós and UNFPA's Chief of Strategic Partnership Mariarosa Cutillo have signed the trilateral MoU to officially launch Guardian Girls Global Karate Project ("Guardian Girls Karate") at the Official Residence of the Japanese Consul General in Los Angeles.

From left: Shin Koyamada (KIF Chairman), Mariarosa Cutillo (UNFPA Chief of Strategic Partnerships), Antonio Espinós (WKF President)