Once again it is that time of the year when we at ONE Africa celebrate
the many Africa-led efforts towards the achievement of the Millennium
Development Goals (MDG’s). This year’s ONE Award is
especially significant as it comes at a time when the world is
preparing to adopt the new Sustainable development Goals (SDGs). We
believe the adoption of the new Global Goals (SDGs) by the UN General
Assembly in September to build on and succeed the MDGs will provide a
broader and deeper framework for anti-poverty organizations and
activists to do more by 2030.
Since the adoption of the Millennium Development Goals in 2000 Africa
has made tremendous progress toward ending extreme poverty and
preventable diseases. Malawi has raised agricultural productivity;
primary school enrollment has gone up in Ghana, Kenya, Tanzania and
Uganda; Zambia has improved access to basic rural health services; Niger
has made strides in large-scale reforestation; Senegal is on track to
meet the MDG target on water and sanitation; and malaria incidence has
fallen in Niger, Togo and Zambia. While many challenges remain, I
continue to be inspired by how local communities are meeting these
challenges and the resilience with which they are working to overcome
them.
I am even more inspired by cutting edge, youth led solutions across the
continent that are harnessing technology to help ensure greater
inclusion among those usually excluded from accessing development
services. The story of ordinary people doing extraordinary things to
move the African continent forward in its goals to eradicate extreme
poverty, end preventable diseases, increase food security and overall
create better societies is why the ONE Africa award was created. It is
therefore indeed a great privilege for us at ONE, to be able to
recognize, once a year the efforts, energy and enthusiasm of these
amazing African organizations that are making a difference and share
their stories with the world.
It is worth noting that this year ONE is running a campaign called
Poverty is Sexist, which seeks to promote the advancement of humankind
by insisting on policy interventions by our African governments that
promote and ensure equal opportunities for women and girls, especially
in the poorest countries. This campaign was inspired, in many ways, by
those working to help lift every girl and woman out of poverty at the
community level so that they can take hold of equal opportunities, break
from cultural and social constraints that may be holding them back, and
become drivers of poverty reduction.
It is this kind of energy and dedication that gives meaning to
the ONE Africa Award, established in 2008 as a means of recognizing
and elevating some of Africa’s grassroots efforts towards achieving the
MDG’s. We are proud to be able to celebrate and shine a spotlight on
some of the best Africa-led efforts towards achieving the MDG’s.
Indeed, the 2015 ONE Award is particularly special in that it not only
seeks to recognize the current efforts but because this is the year when
the new SDGs kick off to replace the MDGs, this year’s Award also seeks
to encourage Africa’s civil society to begin thinking about
contributing to the new Sustainable Development Goals. In that regard it
will be important to help ensure that commitments on the ground are
honored and progress achieved. When it comes to more lives saved, more
girls in school and more inclusive growth realized.
I am therefore once again delighted and privileged to invite civil
society organizations, non-governmental organizations and other groups
based in Africa that can demonstrate commitment and success in
advocacy towards achieving the MDGs to apply for the award. And please
share with any organizations you know that are playing their part in
making our continent a better place.
We are looking forward to this year’s exciting submissions.
TUMA MAOMBI KUPITIA ------->
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