The M-PESA Foundation: Large Scale Programmes

Now in its eighth year after inception, the M-PESA Foundation partners with Kenyan communities to implement large scale programmes in health, education and environmental conservation. The M-PESA Foundation aims to integrate mobile technology into its investments to contribute to a larger scale and scope of programmes.

Full details on the work of the M-PESA Foundation can be found at www.m-pesafoundation.org

In Support of SDG3: Ensuring healthy lives and promoting well-being for all at all ages

Uzazi Salama (Safe Motherhood) is the flagship health programme of the M-PESA Foundation.

Uzazi Salama is a partnership between the M-PESA Foundation, AMREF Health Africa, PharmAccess
Foundation and the Samburu County Government. It aims to improve maternal and newborn health outcomes in Samburu County by addressing key barriers preventing mothers from accessing quality maternal and neonatal health services.

Uzazi Salama aims to address the three delays that negatively impact maternal health: delay in seeking medical information and services; delay in reaching a medical facility; and delay in receiving adequate care when a facility is reached.

Uzazi Salama has trained communities, 442 community health workers and 278 health facility staff. 16 maternal health facilities have been renovated and 39 equipped (10 scheduled and ready to be equipped). The M-PESA Foundation has also performed assessment to improve the quality of maternal and health information and services provided to all 55 facilities; established a transport and referral system and integrated technology into the programme to enable speed and scale. The program has reached 368 mothers.

Community Health Workers and Community Health Volunteers receive regular training and have the opportunity to receive supportive supervision from their peers or supervisor through LEAP (the Learning
Enablement Platform); another investment by the M-PESA Foundation. There is a static e-learning centre established for nursing staff at the larger referral hospitals and 150 nursing staff have enrolled so far.

To date, Uzazi Salama project has increased by 8% the numbers of mothers delivering their babies at health facilities and has led to the reduction of maternal and neonatal deaths in the county.

Besides Samburu, the LEAP platform is being used to train and upskill health workers in 12 other counties. LEAP aims to drive lasting health productivity and economic improvements for communities across the country by increasing access to quality, timely and appropriate healthcare services. Some 3,000 Community Health Volunteers have been trained.

Conservation of Environment through restoring Mau Eburu Ecosystem

Located in Nakuru County, Eburu forest, is an indigenous forest among the gazetted forest blocks that comprise the vast 420,000 hectares of the larger Mau forest. The M-PESA Foundation funded the construction of 43.3 kilometres of fencing along with 10 fence gates to protect the forest from encroachment and illegal logging.

The project also established a wildlife water access point in Eastern Eburu Forest and created a 3.5 kilometer electric fence towards the eastern boundary of Eburu- Lake Naivasha corridor. By increasing and sustaining the forest cover, 7,000 tree seedlings were planted in Morop area of the forest in an exercise undertaken by Safaricom staff, Kenya Defence Forces and the local community. In the spirit of leaving no one behind, over 660 community members were trained on conservation.

Other notable contributions include production of Eburu Map showing key forest features and wildlife corridors. In addition, two new nature trails were developed and new forest roads built. This has been summed up by publishing Eburu Guidebook and since then over 90 books sold to individuals and companies.

Ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all

The M-PESA Foundation Academy is a state-of-the- art, co-educational and residential high school providing world class Kenyan education. Driven by leadership, entrepreneurship, technology and innovation, the Academy serves talented but economically disadvantaged students with demonstrated leadership potential.

The admission of the first group of students was conducted in January 2016 when the Academy enrolled 94 students, a boy and a girl, from each of the 47 counties. Today, the Academy has 489 students and 40 teachers and 30 administration staff.

The M-PESA Foundation Academy has continued to offer quality education to the students with a mix of ICT in provision of education. Students also engage in co-curricular activities such as sports, music, the arts and tech projects. This is aimed at empowering the students to realize their full potential and develop their individual skills to raise leaders, thinkers and doers.