SPEECH BY H.E. THE FIRST LADY OF THE REPUBLIC OF KENYA, MRS.

MARGARET
KENYATTA DURING THE WORLD BLOOD DONOR DAY ON SATURDAY, 14TH JUNE
2014 AT UHURU PARK NAIROBI.
Distinguished Guests,
Good Morning,
Last year, a young girl contacted my office seeking support to raise money for charity.
Fifteen-year-old Erika Njeri Gachoka as determined to run the entire !" kilometres at last #cto$er%s
&hicago Marathon to raise '( million shillings for the purchase of Mo$ile )lood &ollection *nits.
+ as only too happy to make a contri$ution and as o,erjoyed hen young Njeri completed the
&hicago Marathon and raised funds for this orthy cause.
+ kno only too ell ho challenging it can $e. + salute young Njeri for her onderful effort and,
indeed, + appreciate the efforts that -enyans continue to make in $oosting our $lood $anks.
.he /orld )lood Donor Day, marked annually on the 0!th of 1une aiming to raise aareness of the
importance of $lood donation, the need for safe $lood for transfusion 2 and to thank $lood donors for
their gift of life.
.he glo$al theme this year is 34afe )lood for sa,ing mothers5. .his theme resonates ,ery ell ith our
3)eyond 6ero5 initiati,e that aims to impro,e maternal, neonatal and child healthcare in -enya.
+ ish to remind fello -enyans that e,ery time they donate $lood, they are sa,ing li,es. 4adly, many
patients re7uiring transfusion do not ha,e timely access to safe $lood. )lood cannot $e manufactured,
and there is no real su$stitute for it. +t is in constant demand for accident ,ictims, hemophiliacs,
surgeries, infants, and more.
E,ery 0( minutes 8 -enyans ho need $lood are at risk of dying if it is not a,aila$le.
.o maintain sufficient $lood supply e need at least one percent of the !( million -enyans to donate
$lood at least once e,ery year.
.oo many $a$ies are lost in the first "9 days of life. .he ne$orn has a limited capacity to tolerate
acute haemorrhage. )lood loss can occur in the ne$orn prior to $irth or during deli,ery, o$stetric
accidents and maternal $leeding.
:esterday, + paid a surprise ,isit to ;umani Maternity <ospital and + ould like to ask that e donate
$lood today to sa,e mothers and $a$ies.
)lood donation should therefore $e seen as mutual life-sa,ing aid $eteen -enyans. /e cannot remain
indifferent to others% needs. /e ill not.
#ur nation%s $lood supplies need to $e replenished constantly, as $lood products ha,e a short shelf life.
/ith $lood shortages occurring countryide, it is important to create a netork of young $lood donors
ho commit to donating regularly.
.he efforts $y the -enya National )lood .ransfusion 4er,ice ill dou$tless strengthen our campaign
for =ero maternal deaths, and at the same time help us achie,e the millennium de,elopment goal ! and
' that focus on maternal and child health $y the year "(0'.
+ urge the Ministry of <ealth to re-e>amine their strategy for distri$uting $lood to all -enyans in the
counties.
+ thank e,eryone ho played a role in making this e,ent a success? and + appeal to the adult population
in -enya to follo Erika Njeri%s e>ample 2 play your part in the dri,e to $ring $lood to e,ery -enyan
ho needs it.
.he London Marathon as just the start, and + ill keep running until + see the reali=ation of the
@)eyond 6ero% dream of creating a $etter and a safer -enya for our mothers and children.
#n this note, + am pleased to inform you that so far, )eyond 6ero has recei,ed funds from friends and
ell ishers to purchase 0( mo$ile clinics.
.hese are currently $eing fa$ricated and $eing fitted ith clinic apparatus and + ill $e rolling out the
first one in 1uly.
/e ill start ith &ounties that ha,e the highest mortality rates and continue until e ha,e co,ered all
!8 counties.... + still count on your support to make this dream a reality.
I THANK YOU.