Safaricom Foundation and KCB Foundation Lead New Campaign to Fight Hunger in Kenya

KENYANS for KENYA brings together key players in corporate Kenya and media in massive effort to raise Sh500 million, in four weeks, towards famine relief for over 3 million Kenyans

Nairobi, July 27, 2011…The Safaricom Foundation and KCB Foundation today led a coalition of corporate Kenya and media in launching a massive fund-raising effort aimed at reversing the suffering of an estimated 3.5 million Kenyans faced with starvation.

Dubbed KENYANS for KENYA and intended to raise over Sh500 million, in four weeks. The initiative has brought together a number of organizations among them Safaricom Foundation, KCB Foundation and the country's leading media houses operating under the umbrella of the Media Owners Association (MOA). The effort will be administered by relief agency Kenya Red Cross Society.

Speaking at the launch held at Safaricom House and attended by several CEOs, and media owners Safaricom CEO Bob Collymore said: "Kenyans are dying and the time to act is now. We must discard the garb of competition and rally together. Through this unprecedented effort, Safaricom Foundation has taken a moral responsibility to lead corporate Kenya's response to the country's worst famine in six decades."

"I thank our partners and especially the MOA for joining in this initiative at such short notice. Their contribution, especially in harnessing public opinion towards this worthy cause, shall go a long way in alleviating the suffering of Kenyans," added Mr Collymore. 

The KCB Group CEO Dr. Martin Oduor-Otieno said that KCB is ready to support initiatives that would help to alleviate famine in the country.

"KCB through the KCB Foundation is delighted to be part of this noble initiative bringing together the Kenya Red Cross Society, corporate organizations and the media in support of Kenyans hard hit by famine. In addition, we are also mobilizing our 5,000 staff to make individual contributions," said Dr Oduor-Otieno.

KENYANS for KENYA, touted as the biggest such effort ever mounted in Kenya, shall be co-ordinated on several fronts, including pledges from corporate society that will be made public during a meeting set for next Friday, August 5 at Serena Hotel. Also key to the campaign is the use of M-PESA, Safaricom's money transfer service to receive donations.

This will ensure that even the smallest donation (as low as Sh10) is harnessed, as this will go a long way in improving the situation of millions of Kenyans currently staring starvation and death in the eye. Donations can be sent to the M-PESA Pay Bill number 111111 at no charge as this has been waived.

Donations can also be sent to account number 11 33 33 33 38 at KCB. Kenya Red Cross Society cash tins will also be available in 169 KCB branches countrywide for receiving donations.

Money raised through the KENYANS for KENYA campaign is expected to be used to finance a raft of short and medium term interventions meant to alleviate the suffering of the most vulnerable groups and eventually underpin food security in the long term.

Short-term interventions include buying Unimix, a nutritious pre-cooked meal for school feeding programs and at health centres and other locations which will target the vulnerable like the aged and mothers. The money will also be used to buy and transport water from existing water sources.

A ton of Unimix costs Ksh 105,000 and can feed 100 children for 4 to 5 months, whereas trucking of 15,000 litres of water within a distance of 100 kilometres will cost Sh25, 000.

Medium-term interventions will entail ensuring access by over 250,000 persons, to safe and clean drinking water through rehabilitation or sinking of boreholes and construction of green-houses in schools and areas where there is access to water via drip irrigation. 

Kenya is currently in the throes of its worst drought in six decades, according to UN agencies and the Government. Some 3.5 million Kenyans, mainly in northern Kenya are staring at imminent starvation and death. The situation has been exacerbated by runaway inflation, a poor maize crop for the current season and a ballooning refugee crisis in ever unstable Somalia, Kenya's northern neighbour.

Counties affected most include Turkana, Marsabit, Wajir and Mandera. The Kenya Red Cross Society (KRCS) first launched a famine relief appeal in January this year, but only 20 per cent of the funds targeted was raised.

The famine crisis in Kenya has already received unprecedented media coverage especially from the international media due to the influx of refugees in Dadaab and Kakuma refugee camps. The corporate appeal comes at a time when the United Nations (UN) has also called an emergency meeting in Rome to mobilise aid so save starving Kenyans from hunger.

KENYANS for KENYA brings together key players in corporate Kenya and media in massive effort to raise Sh500 million, in four weeks, towards famine relief for over 3 million Kenyans

Nairobi, July 27, 2011…The Safaricom Foundation and KCB Foundation today led a coalition of corporate Kenya and media in launching a massive fund-raising effort aimed at reversing the suffering of an estimated 3.5 million Kenyans faced with starvation.

Dubbed KENYANS for KENYA and intended to raise over Sh500 million, in four weeks. The initiative has brought together a number of organizations among them Safaricom Foundation, KCB Foundation and the country's leading media houses operating under the umbrella of the Media Owners Association (MOA). The effort will be administered by relief agency Kenya Red Cross Society.

Speaking at the launch held at Safaricom House and attended by several CEOs, and media owners Safaricom CEO Bob Collymore said: "Kenyans are dying and the time to act is now. We must discard the garb of competition and rally together. Through this unprecedented effort, Safaricom Foundation has taken a moral responsibility to lead corporate Kenya's response to the country's worst famine in six decades."

"I thank our partners and especially the MOA for joining in this initiative at such short notice. Their contribution, especially in harnessing public opinion towards this worthy cause, shall go a long way in alleviating the suffering of Kenyans," added Mr Collymore. 

The KCB Group CEO Dr. Martin Oduor-Otieno said that KCB is ready to support initiatives that would help to alleviate famine in the country.

"KCB through the KCB Foundation is delighted to be part of this noble initiative bringing together the Kenya Red Cross Society, corporate organizations and the media in support of Kenyans hard hit by famine. In addition, we are also mobilizing our 5,000 staff to make individual contributions," said Dr Oduor-Otieno.

KENYANS for KENYA, touted as the biggest such effort ever mounted in Kenya, shall be co-ordinated on several fronts, including pledges from corporate society that will be made public during a meeting set for next Friday, August 5 at Serena Hotel. Also key to the campaign is the use of M-PESA, Safaricom's money transfer service to receive donations.

This will ensure that even the smallest donation (as low as Sh10) is harnessed, as this will go a long way in improving the situation of millions of Kenyans currently staring starvation and death in the eye. Donations can be sent to the M-PESA Pay Bill number 111111 at no charge as this has been waived.

Donations can also be sent to account number 11 33 33 33 38 at KCB. Kenya Red Cross Society cash tins will also be available in 169 KCB branches countrywide for receiving donations.

Money raised through the KENYANS for KENYA campaign is expected to be used to finance a raft of short and medium term interventions meant to alleviate the suffering of the most vulnerable groups and eventually underpin food security in the long term.

Short-term interventions include buying Unimix, a nutritious pre-cooked meal for school feeding programs and at health centres and other locations which will target the vulnerable like the aged and mothers. The money will also be used to buy and transport water from existing water sources.

A ton of Unimix costs Ksh 105,000 and can feed 100 children for 4 to 5 months, whereas trucking of 15,000 litres of water within a distance of 100 kilometres will cost Sh25, 000.

Medium-term interventions will entail ensuring access by over 250,000 persons, to safe and clean drinking water through rehabilitation or sinking of boreholes and construction of green-houses in schools and areas where there is access to water via drip irrigation. 

Kenya is currently in the throes of its worst drought in six decades, according to UN agencies and the Government. Some 3.5 million Kenyans, mainly in northern Kenya are staring at imminent starvation and death. The situation has been exacerbated by runaway inflation, a poor maize crop for the current season and a ballooning refugee crisis in ever unstable Somalia, Kenya's northern neighbour.

Counties affected most include Turkana, Marsabit, Wajir and Mandera. The Kenya Red Cross Society (KRCS) first launched a famine relief appeal in January this year, but only 20 per cent of the funds targeted was raised.

The famine crisis in Kenya has already received unprecedented media coverage especially from the international media due to the influx of refugees in Dadaab and Kakuma refugee camps. The corporate appeal comes at a time when the United Nations (UN) has also called an emergency meeting in Rome to mobilise aid so save starving Kenyans from hunger.