Kenyans Raise More Than Kshs.100 Million Under the We Are One Initiative for Westgate Victims

Over 240,000 Kenyan’s send funds on M-PESA PayBill number 848484.
Diaspora contribution through line 0702 848484 totals Kshs 410,000. 
Safaricom contributes Kshs. 30 million through the Safaricom & M-PESA Foundations to the relief kitty to be managed by the Kenya Red Cross Society. 

Nairobi, September 27, 2013… Kenyans and well wishers from all walks of life have raised a total of Kshs 102,331,349 under the We are One initiative for the emergency rescue operation to assist victims of Westgate Mall tragedy, following an appeal made by the Kenya Red Cross on Sunday 22nd September 2013 . 

This includes Kshs. 71,921,192 raised on M-PESA PayBill No 848484 , Kshs. 410,157 contribution by Kenyans and other well-wishers living in the diaspora who sent their money to the number 0702 848484, and a further Kshs. 30 million contribution from the Safaricom and the M-PESA Foundations.

Announcing the closure of the fund raising initiative, Safaricom’s Chief Executive Officer Bob Collymore thanked customers for the overwhelming response to the appeal that was made on Sunday 22nd September 2013, barely 24 hours after the attack at the Westgate mall.

“We are humbled by the contribution made over the three days by our customers. A total of 240,968 customers sent amounts ranging from Kshs. 10 to Kshs. 50,000. At some point during the campaign, we were receiving an average of Kshs. 34,000 per minute on the M-PESA PayBill number 848484”, he said.
Collymore added, “Given the nature of this emergency, the PayBill number was already zero-rated. We are therefore handing over this entire amount to the Kenya Red Cross Society, which has the technical and logistical capacity to identify the specific needs of those affected and allocate the funds appropriately”.

Since the Westgate Mall crisis, the Kenya Red Cross Society, under the leadership of its Secretary General Abbas Gullet has been at the forefront of providing humanitarian services which include mobilizing the public to donate blood, psychosocial support for the affected, evacuation services and emergency triage services. 

“We had set an initial target of Kshs. 80 million and by raising Kshs 102 million Kenyans, have demonstrated that even in the face of terror, we are one. The funds we are receiving Safaricom, today, will go a long way in the treatment and care of those who have been affected.’ said Gullet.

Abass further added ‘the funds raised will go towards Medical emergency grants directly to hospitals, offering trauma counseling to first responders, victims and their families’. Some of the funds raised have been earmarked for ambulance services providers, blood donor service and to aid the Kenya National Blood Transfusion Services at the Kenyatta National Hospital with blood transfusion equipment.

Leading accountancy firm Deloitte Consulting have kindly agreed to be the official auditors of the #WeAreOneFund on a pro-bono basis.

Over 240,000 Kenyan’s send funds on M-PESA PayBill number 848484.
Diaspora contribution through line 0702 848484 totals Kshs 410,000. 
Safaricom contributes Kshs. 30 million through the Safaricom & M-PESA Foundations to the relief kitty to be managed by the Kenya Red Cross Society. 

Nairobi, September 27, 2013… Kenyans and well wishers from all walks of life have raised a total of Kshs 102,331,349 under the We are One initiative for the emergency rescue operation to assist victims of Westgate Mall tragedy, following an appeal made by the Kenya Red Cross on Sunday 22nd September 2013 . 

This includes Kshs. 71,921,192 raised on M-PESA PayBill No 848484 , Kshs. 410,157 contribution by Kenyans and other well-wishers living in the diaspora who sent their money to the number 0702 848484, and a further Kshs. 30 million contribution from the Safaricom and the M-PESA Foundations.

Announcing the closure of the fund raising initiative, Safaricom’s Chief Executive Officer Bob Collymore thanked customers for the overwhelming response to the appeal that was made on Sunday 22nd September 2013, barely 24 hours after the attack at the Westgate mall.

“We are humbled by the contribution made over the three days by our customers. A total of 240,968 customers sent amounts ranging from Kshs. 10 to Kshs. 50,000. At some point during the campaign, we were receiving an average of Kshs. 34,000 per minute on the M-PESA PayBill number 848484”, he said.
Collymore added, “Given the nature of this emergency, the PayBill number was already zero-rated. We are therefore handing over this entire amount to the Kenya Red Cross Society, which has the technical and logistical capacity to identify the specific needs of those affected and allocate the funds appropriately”.

Since the Westgate Mall crisis, the Kenya Red Cross Society, under the leadership of its Secretary General Abbas Gullet has been at the forefront of providing humanitarian services which include mobilizing the public to donate blood, psychosocial support for the affected, evacuation services and emergency triage services. 

“We had set an initial target of Kshs. 80 million and by raising Kshs 102 million Kenyans, have demonstrated that even in the face of terror, we are one. The funds we are receiving Safaricom, today, will go a long way in the treatment and care of those who have been affected.’ said Gullet.

Abass further added ‘the funds raised will go towards Medical emergency grants directly to hospitals, offering trauma counseling to first responders, victims and their families’. Some of the funds raised have been earmarked for ambulance services providers, blood donor service and to aid the Kenya National Blood Transfusion Services at the Kenyatta National Hospital with blood transfusion equipment.

Leading accountancy firm Deloitte Consulting have kindly agreed to be the official auditors of the #WeAreOneFund on a pro-bono basis.