Tag: Beyond zero initiative news

Co-operative Bank sustains support to H.E. The First Lady’s Beyond Zero Initiative

Posted on by Kibaki Muthamia
The Co-operative Bank of Kenya has extended a Kes.20 Million boost to the First Lady’s Maternal and Child Healthcare Half Marathon initiative. The First Lady’s Half Marathon is to be held on Saturday 8th March 2020, to raise awareness and galvanize support towards maternal and child health.

This latest Kes.20 Million contributions is the fifth such donation by the Bank, which brings the cumulative contribution by the Bank to over Ksh80 million donated in the last 6 years.

The sponsorship has supported, among other needs, the purchase of three brand new fully-equipped mobile clinics that were donated to Narok, Nandi and Kirinyaga counties.

Since its inception in January 2014, Beyond Zero, on which the Half Marathon is anchored, continues to play a key role in the elimination of preventable maternal and early childhood deaths as outlined in the Beyond Zero Campaign.

The success of Beyond Zero is well demonstrated by the progressive improvement in key maternal health indicators as well as HIV prevention and management. There has also been an increase in stakeholder participation and goodwill, all necessary for a healthy population.

We greatly commend the First Lady for her bold declaration that she shall be on the frontline in the fight against HIV/AIDS to see an HIV-free generation in her lifetime.

We are confident that if Beyond Zero maintains the current momentum, Kenya will be on its way to becoming a safe haven for mothers, children, and adolescents where motherhood is enjoyed and children born AIDS-free.

In this context, the Co-operative Bank is most proud to support the First Lady’s Initiative alongside other worthy causes that include the School Fees Bursary Program that has supported over 7,000 gifted but needy students, and capacity-building in the over 15 million-member co-operative movement under the Co-operative Bank Foundation.

Presenting the donation at State House, Nairobi, the Co-operative Bank Group Managing Director & CEO, Dr. Gideon Muriuki said that the Bank feels honored to continue supporting Beyond Zero on account of being a local bank whose clients largely come from rural areas where Beyond Zero interventions have the biggest impact.

“Being a Kenyan bank and being in the rural areas we are indeed one of the beneficiaries of this great initiative and we can only commend you for the mentorship and leadership that you provided on this and we are extremely proud to be part of this journey,” Dr. Muriuki said.

“When you give to the poor is like lending to the Lord, and the Lord will pay you back.” Proverbs 19:17

In addition to the cash contribution, the Co-operative Bank will send teams to take part in the 2020 First Lady’s Half Marathon.

Co-operative Bank to support free cancer screening campaign

Posted on by Kibaki Muthamia

The recent surge of cancer-related health challenges facing the country has brought to the fore the need to ramp-up early cancer screening campaigns to help identify in good time cases where early intervention can help.

It is in this spirit that the Beth Mugo Cancer Foundation in collaboration with Co-operative Bank and other partners has drawn out a countrywide program of Free Cancer Screening Camps where Kenyans can get free screening for the key lifestyle disease conditions that continue to ravage families including cancer, blood sugar levels, blood pressure and related health needs.

In this context, the next Free Cancer Screening Camp will be held this Friday 27 September 2019 at Lumakanda Primary School in Lugari Constituency, Kakamega County, hosted by the Beth Mugo Foundation in collaboration with the Co-operative Bank, the Kakamega County Government and other partners. Everyone in Kakamega and beyond is invited to come for the free cancer screening.

This Kakamega event is the second one, following the first held in Kisumu in January this year at which hundreds of residents received free cancer screening and related medical advice.

The Co-operative Bank has made available sh10 million to be applied over five years on the Prevention of Cancer campaign, and looks forward to support the free cancer screening camps in all counties of Kenya.

The Co-operative Bank will support the Free Cancer Screening Campaign alongside other worthy causes that the bank continues to support that include the First Lady’s Beyond Zero Initiative on child and maternal health, the School Fees Bursary Program that has supported over 6,900 gifted but needy students, and capacity-building in the over 15 million-member co-operative movement under the Co-operative Bank Foundation.

“We appeal to other corporate institutions and Kenyans of goodwill to join hands and create a movement around the importance of early screening and testing for the key health challenges such as cancer and diabetes that continue to ravage our families causing untold misery mainly due to very late diagnosis,” Group Managing Director & CEO Co-operative Bank, Dr. Gideon Muriuki.