KEYNOTE ADDRESS BY H.E. MARGARET KENYATTA, THE FIRST LADY OF THE REPUBLIC OF KENYA, DURING THE LAUNCH OF THE PHILANTHROPY ENGAGED IN THE POST- 2015 PLATFORM AT THE FORD FOUNDATION HEADQUARTERS IN NEW YORK ON 24TH SEPTEMBER 2015.
Distinguished guests,
Ladies and gentlemen,
It is a great pleasure for me to be here today-among individuals and institutions that are committed to a fair and equitable world where everyone is able to thrive and live to their full potential.
I bring warm greetings from the people of Kenya.
Allow me to congratulate the convenors of this forum- the Ford Foundation and UNDP- both friends of the Beyond Zero campaign.
May I also congratulate all philanthropists present for their interest and investments in the development sector. You have contributed greatly to some of the key milestones in human development witnessed across the globe in the last 15 years.
As we aspire to deliver improved services and opportunities to all, we must create partnerships between governments, the private sector, civil society and philanthropists such as you.
It is the synergy from these groups and their strengths in innovation, networking and commitment that are critical assets for development.
I am honoured to be asked to preside over the launch of this important philanthropist’s forum. This platform presents an opportunity for boldness and creativity in your investments – by supporting novel and non-conventional mechanisms that can provide scale and leverage social change.
We convene here because we have evidence of the dramatic results a globally focussed development agenda can yield. The Post 2015 agenda presents an opportunity for scaling up human development to another level. As philanthropists you occupy a unique and special position for assuring that this happens. You can do this in three ways – first by making financial commitments, secondly honouring and fulfilling those commitments and finally demanding accountability
This forum therefore, gives us a unique opportunity to expand the dialogue in a more systematic approach to our development challenges.
That conversation must be focused on specific challenges that seek solutions to the obstacles that stood in the way of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) particularly in Sub Saharan Africa. In Kenya, for example, maternal mortality as an MDG goal performed poorly and, in some cases, witnessed a reversal in progress.
By focusing on maternal health, a whole range of development dividends are projected that are likely to support and complement the realisation and attainment of the proposed Post 2015 agenda goals. Thus, in this new era more concerted efforts will be required to ensure that girls and women are at the heart of development. This way we will see significant improvements in their health, rights and well-being.
As I have said before no mother should die while giving life.
Sadly in Kenya, more than 5500 mothers and over 100,000 children die annually due to preventable causes. We can no longer afford to stand by and watch this tragedy unfold. We must all do something.
On my part, I embarked on running marathons — which Kenya is famous for — as a one of the strategies to appeal to philanthropists both nationally and internationally.
In the last 18 months, with the generous support of Kenya’s philanthropists and private sector, we have delivered 32 out of 47 fully equipped mobile facilities.
Through our outreach services we have promoted health prevention to more than 250,000 Kenyans, focusing on social and cultural barriers that hinder uptake of services in under-served areas.
The ultimate goal of my campaign is to ensure that mothers in Kenya give birth safely and that their children’s lives and health are assured. This will also provide a solid basis for success of the development indicators that include literacy, equity and bridging the poverty gap.
Members of the Beyond Zero Technical team are in this room to address any concerns that you may have.
In conclusion, those among ourselves who doubt that what we propose can be done, are reminded of the immortal wisdom from the great Nelson Mandela; “It always seems impossible, until it’s done”.
Thank you all for being with us, listening to us, and supporting our campaign. We look forward to your continued and increased support!