NMG awarded for supporting achievement of MDGs

The Nation Media Group has scooped an award for its role in supporting the attainment of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in the country.

The group which runs media companies in East Africa emerged the best in the Print category of Media Advocacy  on MDGs through its “wide spread readership.”

The judges acknowledged that the Sunday Nation, Daily Nation and Saturday Nation publications have helped a great deal in informing and educating Kenyans on various ways of attaining the Millennium Development Goals.

“The company has been consistent; it has been influential through informative articles on the MDGs both in Kenya and in East Africa,” said the judges on Friday in Nairobi.

The Nation newspapers were recognised for their role in improving literacy through the Newspapers for Education programme, generating public debate on development through articles on environment, education and gender inequalities.

The Nation is the most read newspaper in East Africa with the Daily Nation published Monday to Friday while the Saturday Nation and Sunday Nation coming out on a weekly.

Other winners in the Media Advocacy category include Kameme FM for its role in educating the public on environmental conservation through vernacular, KTN for its news feature aired last year on saving the Mara River and Citizen TV for its programme on farming aired every Saturday. The Media Council was voted the best in championing freedom of the media and protection of journalists.

The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) are a set of eight international development targets officially established in 2000 by the United Nations. All the 193 UN members agreed on the 2015 deadline for the achievement in reduced poverty, reduced child and maternal mortality rate, reduced diseases, improved literacy, gender equality, environmental protection and improved international cooperation.

In Kenya, this has mainly been championed by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in collaboration with the Kenya government.

But even as the organizations scooped the awards, they were challenged to beat the deadline which is due in less than 600 days.

“We have done very well on some the goals such as improvement of school enrollment for our children, said Dr Edward Sambili the PS for Planning.

“But we haven’t done so well on other goals such as reducing child mortality rates, improving maternal health and protecting the environment.”

More money will have to be channelled to programmes meant for improving living standards if the country has to meet these targets an development partners said they are willing to support the course.

“It is important that MDGs are placed firmly on the government plan. Finland is ready to support MDG programmes in Kenya,” said Ms Sofie From-Emmesberger, the Finish Ambassador to Kenya..

The MDGs Award is an initiative that seeks to acknowledge the contribution of either organizations or individuals to the attainment of the Goals. They were launched in 2010 by the MDG Trust Fund, a non- profit organization that promotes programmes for alleviating poverty.
There are eleven categories, the first eight which recognize organizations for their individual contribution to specific goals while the last three for championing the goals.

Kenya Red Cross, Muthaa Community Development Foundation, Gertrude’s Children Hospital, World Vision, Amiran Kenya, Amref, National Aids Control Council, and Kenya Private Sector Alliance scooped awards for each category.

Dr Isaac Kalua of Green Africa Foundation won the Distinguished Service Award for his role in environmental protection; Amiran Kenya also won the Champion of the Year Award while World Vision Kenya won the Lifetime Achievement.