NGOs urged to lead the way on sustainable development goals
M-PESA and Safaricom foundations today held a forum with their partners from the Mt Kenya and North Eastern region to discuss the Sustainable Development Goals where they asked NGOs to play a critical role in localizing the goals.
The SDGs are a new universal set of goals, targets, and indicators aimed at ending poverty, protecting the planet, and ensuring prosperity. They were adopted by UN member states in September 2015 and form part of a new sustainable development agenda.
“We believe that there is need to discuss the roles and responsibilities that different stakeholders should take in achieving these goals and how to best implement this universal framework at the local level,” said Joseph Ogutu, Safaricom Foundation Chairman.
The collaboration is aimed at building a literate generation as an investment towards the future by providing infrastructural development to improve the learning environment for children in their early years in school specifically focusing on Early Childhood Development in public schools. This will lead to an increase in access to equitable and innovative educational opportunities.
Significant strides have been made in increasing life expectancy and reducing some of the common killers associated with child and maternal mortality with major progress also been made on increasing access to clean water and sanitation, reducing malaria, tuberculosis, polio and the spread of HIV/AIDS. However much more needs to be done to fully eradicate a wide range of mainly preventable diseases and address different persistent and emerging health issues.
In the last 10 years, the two foundations have invested over Kshs.300 million in various projects across the Mt Kenya and North Eastern region aimed at transforming the lives of the local communities.
Earlier in the week, the Safaricom Foundation commissioned various facilities funded at cost of over Kshs 10 million in various schools and health facilities in the region.
The schools included Kamikuyu Polytechnic in Kirinyaga County who received an equipped ICT Lab, Mpuri Mixed Secondary and Kianthumbi primary in Meru who received a new dining hall and a furnished library respectively as well as Nguviu Boys’ High school and ACK Kambaru Secondary School in Embu who now have a new ICT lab and a fully equipped science lab.
The Foundation also handed over a Maternity Wing to St. Theresa Riiji Dispensary in Meru County and hospital equipment to St. Francis De Sales in Chuka.
The overall goal is to ensure that poverty levels are reduced and Kenyans in every region have access to good education, healthcare and clean water and sanitation.
