Our impact in 2025 was transformational. We saw 1,403 pregnant women and girls join a Team Mum Pregnant Women’s Group: an approach proven to reduce maternal and child mortality rates in low-resource settings. Behind this number are real women, babies, and families facing real barriers and challenges during, and after, pregnancy.
At Child.org, we are proud to address these barriers using community-led approaches, and delighted to see more women accessing the support they need for a safer pregnancy and childbirth. You can now read about Child.org’s latest impact in our 2025 Impact Report.
Here’s CEO Marti’s letter, reflecting on our impact, challenges, and triumphs in 2025:
2025 was an unprecedented year in global development. Kenya lost KES 78 Billion (£442 million) in health financing with the USAID cuts at the start of the year, with a loss of 31% of essential medical supplies, and 41,000 health workers facing insecurity in their roles.
Whilst Child.org is not reliant on institutional funding, the indirect impacts on our work were enormous. Service delivery was affected in the regions where we work, with health worker numbers reducing and more inconsistent access to drugs and other commodities.
This was exacerbated by significant changes to Kenya’s health insurance system. With the introduction of the Social Health Authority (SHA), thousands of Kenyans lost confidence in the availability and affordability of health care across the country. This was particularly relevant to Child.org because free maternal health services (known as Linda Mama) were no longer available, meaning many women were reluctant to seek services due to the potential cost.
This made our work more relevant and important than ever; we needed to reach as many women and families as possible to encourage them to seek life-saving support and care, and to prepare for childbirth.
Despite these challenges, and thanks to our amazing supporters and volunteers, Child.org managed to grow and thrive, and make the most of the opportunities presented as a result of the ever-changing landscape of the health system here in Kenya.
In Narok, we trained 40 community health workers and took an active role in supporting women and girls to register for SHA, meaning their care would be covered. We spoke and listened to community members’ concerns about the new system and dispelled myths and misconceptions about the potential costs.
New facility finance systems mean that clinics can now receive more government funding when they treat more patients; particularly for antenatal and delivery services. In Narok and Garissa, clinics are maximising this opportunity and offering incentives to women to use their services. Through our Pregnant Women’s Groups, Child.org connects women to these clinics to receive high-quality, incentivised care. This in turn unlocks more government funding for clinics to further improve their services.
We were able to thrive in this difficult context because Child.org is funded primarily through events and partnerships, both in the UK and internationally. We have invested in these sustainable funding streams to remain independent and reliable during a volatile period: 2025 brought in our biggest ever profit from Charity Concierge and new partnerships. We have even bigger plans for 2026. Ride Africa continues to grow and reach new audiences, and our 2026 cross-border route is an exciting addition to our portfolio of cycle events
As a result of these activities, we were able to invest in exciting changes in 2025: including launching in Garissa County; developing new training materials for different contexts; and a new digital database that will improve efficiencies with our impact measurement and our accounting processes. This will allow us to better share our progress, build a case for support, and make evidence-based decisions with greater ease. This will allow us to grow more easily and, ultimately, reach more women and communities in Kenya.
2026 is going to be a big year. It marks 25 years since our founders brought their first student group to Kisumu in Kenya. We will celebrate with our brilliant community at the Shindig in London in April, and cheer on our first ever London Marathon team that same weekend.
In Kenya, we will mark our 25th Anniversary by expanding our work across three new counties – effectively doubling our reach across the country. One of these counties is Kisumu, where it all began for us 25 years ago.
Thank you for being a part of our story over the past quarter century. Our community of supporters has enabled us to grow and improve our work, and it’s thanks to you that we’re reaching more women and girls in Kenya with life-saving support.
Healthy Mums, Healthy Communities. Our community is you.
Martina Gant, Child.org CEO
