Radio celebrity Maina Kageni today achieved in a matter of days what would take a group of ministers many months: raising more than Ksh20 million shillings while seated in the studio.
According to preliminary figures, the morning show radio host managed to raise Ksh26 million in five days to help children suffering from cancer at the Kenyatta National Hospital. Ksh20 million was collected in cash and mobile money while Ksh6 million came as pledges. The figure is likely to grow as more people send in and pledges come through.
Maina Kageni started #Maina10MillionMission on Monday after visiting the Kenyatta National Hospital and was touched by how little kids were suffering in cancer wards with insufficient equipment to at least keep them fighting on.
He embarked on collecting Ksh10 million towards the treatment of the children. Early today, he used social media to drum up support for the campaign.
“Let’s raise the money for our little heroes and heroines in need of better cancer treatment equipment….. I’m not leaving the studio till we raise this money!!!! We have identified the manufacturers… no middle men….. and what we’ll deliver to KNH will be equipment, not a single shilling…… Happy, blessed Friday!!!!! And be a hero for a little hero…… Barikiwa….. Lipa na Mpesa, Buy Goods and Services, Till number 92 08 41…… No matter how little…. Make that difference!!!!! It’ll make you feel good!!
That appeal touched off an outpouring of support from Kenyans, who kept sending in their contributions long after Main had left the studio. The kids at KNH and their parents have no financial clout to enable them fly out of the country for specialised treatment. To make it worse, even the insufficient equipment at the hospital at times stall, putting the patients in great danger.
Even those who get financial assistance through crowd funding have to travel to India and other foreign countries to be treated. This is because Kenya’s health system lacks this special treatment equipment.
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