Ananda Marga Universal Relief Team (AMURT)

Africa HQ. Po. Box- 29049 00625 Nairobi, Kenya.

Tel/ Fax +254 020 2017160 / 2307724 mobile: 254 716 693188
E-mail: info@amurtafrica.org

Website: www.amurtafrica.org

AMURT Africa Executive Directors Speech during EU Commissioner for Development visit to Samburu
on 18th September 2015

Your Excellency the deputy Governor of Samburu County, European Union Commissioner for
Development, Government officials, dignitaries, colleague NGOs, stakeholders, the community and our
beneficiaries, it is an honor to be given this opportunity to speak to you.
AMURT has been working in the County of Samburu since 2011 starting with emergency drought relief,
supporting schools on rain water harvesting, and supporting small scale farming among women groups
in Samburu East Sub-county.
With support from the European Union and due allocation from County health management team,
AMURT is working in 15 health facilities in the county with a long term goal of reducing maternal
mortality by two thirds and child mortality by three quarters in the county.
So far, records from 15 health facilities we have been partnering with indicate an achievement of 2,535
safe deliveries in against 1,293 safe deliveries from our baseline survey in 2013 which is a 49.4%
increment. Even though we have recorded no still births through the project, unfortunately we lost 1
expectant lady.
The strategies employed in this project include:
Mother to mother group discussion that increased the rate of pregnant mothers attending antenatal
clinic at facility level for safe delivery.
Community dialogues impacting on men to encourage their wives to attend health facilities for safe
delivery.
Over and above; continuous medical education (CME) to health care workers, training of health facility
management committee, Supply of obstetric equipment and Facility renovation activities have impacted
positively on safe delivery at facility level along with the practice of Good governance on facility
management.
However, the challenge of pastoralist nature of the community resulted in few pregnant mothers being
unaccounted for. In addition, long distances from the villages to health facilities coupled with the bad
road terrain have been major obstacles to expectant women wishing to attend health facility.
To progressively resolve key issues AMURT suggest;
Increasing knowledge capacity building in CHWs and good facilitation.
Conducting timely community dialogues and CMEs.

Ananda Marga Universal Relief Team (AMURT)

Africa HQ. Po. Box- 29049 00625 Nairobi, Kenya.

Tel/ Fax +254 020 2017160 / 2307724 mobile: 254 716 693188
E-mail: info@amurtafrica.org

Website: www.amurtafrica.org

Regular medical supplies, proper nutrition for antenatal, postnatal mothers and newborns to be
followed up.

AMURTs project will be ending in December 2015 and I wish AMURT could have been given an
extension of another five years, we could have worked on bringing numbers to zero deaths in maternal
and child mortality in the county!
Nevertheless, AMURT will continue to support few facilities in Samburu East Sub County with its own
resources.
Thank you all for Welcoming the European Commissioner in the land of Samburu and thank you for
taking your time Mr. Commissioner to visit us!

Thank you all and God bless you all!