Kenya’s mile-high, bustling capital city of Nairobi was the setting for IntraHealth International’s Kenya country office opening event last month. The rooftop celebration at Nairobi’s 9-West Building, under billowing tents with a view of the city, was truly joyous for this hard-working and talented Kenya team.

We were celebrating the merger of two separate USAID Kenya-funded projects—Capacity Kenya and FUNZOKenya—into one office for the expanding team. We now have a Kenya country staff of 90, led by Meshack Ndolo, country director.

As I talked with our guests—including many from the US Agency for International Development, the Ministries of Health, and other key Kenya stakeholders, all of whom are collaborative local partners—I could not have been more proud of the important health systems strengthening work IntraHealth is doing in Kenya. I’m also very proud of the strong local partnerships we have developed, all built on trust, communication, and common vision to address and improve health systems issues together.

IntraHealth has been working in Kenya for more than 30 years. Opening a permanent office to house all of our Kenya-based work is an exciting step for us. Even before the combined facilities opened at the 9-West Building, our Kenya projects have been some of IntraHealth’s most robust. And now our work will be even stronger, thanks to the new videoconferencing system we were able to install with the help of a grant from the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation. The cloud-based bridge system will allow Kenya staff members to talk face-to-face with donors, partners, and colleagues around the world.  

The Kenyan government has an ambitious goal: to provide health care services for all of its 43 million citizens. We’ve been working with government bodies and the private sector to meet that goal by creating a stronger, more equitably distributed workforce.

Through our projects and our commitment to the Clinton Global Initiative, we’re making great progress. And that’s truly something to celebrate!

Read more about IntraHealth’s work in Kenya here.