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 philanthropists 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

Kenyas 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 its done.
Thank you all for being with us, listening to us, and
supporting our campaign. We look forward to your
continued and increased support!