We weren’t supporting communities to build our “mother” brand, but rather we were doing it to support needs – to see the unseen, to ensure that no Kenyan was left behind.
For the last fifteen years the Safaricom Foundation has been a part of my life. I have seen it grow from an idea on how best we can support Kenyans all over this country, to a robust institution that is a partner of note to the government, to other philanthropic institutions and most importantly to every day Kenyans. As I look back at my time here, I remember how in the early days we would support projects in areas where the business had not even reached. That was our mission: that location and circumstances would not be a hindrance to us reaching communities.
We did this in myriad different ways – from sinking boreholes in remote areas that would allow girls to be released from having to trek many kilometres to fetch water and go back to school; to equipping and setting up maternal and child health centres that meant babies were not lost or seeing the thousands of Kenyans who would turn up at our medical camps whether for diabetes treatment or fistula repair. I’m happy to say the data doesn’t lie – we know we have made a change to so many, the work and the inputs of the foundation has indeed transformed and even saved lives. It is my distinct honour to serve as the Chairman of the Safaricom Foundation and I am heartened by the fact that we have put in place a strong base of assets for continued work – by our partners and by communities, that will continue to accelerate action and social progress for many years to come.
Joseph Ogutu
Safaricom Foundation Chairman