Michael Jordan's family has launched a Ksh1.3 billion gender-based violence recovery center through the Kenya Women and Children’s Wellness Centre (KWCWC), which is aimed at addressing the accelerating rate of gender-based violence in the country.
The center, which is funded by the James R. Jordan Foundation International, was launched in Narok by the legendary basketballer Michael Jordan's mother, Deloris Jordan, on Friday, March 8.
The launching ceremony was graced by Narok Governor Patrick Ole Ntutu and Narok's First Lady Agnes Ntutu.
The center houses over 33 consultation rooms and laboratories offering antenatal care, immunization, family planning, counseling, lab services, emergency services, obstetrics-gynecology, and minor surgical procedures, making it the largest facility dedicated to treating survivors of GBV in Kenya.
The facility will also offer legal services, vocational training, financial literacy, reproductive health education, mental health support, and leadership training to enable survivors to support themselves and get back on their feet after leaving abusive relationships.
The center has one of the largest rescue shelters in the country, with the capacity to accommodate over 90 survivors of GBV or 20 families at a time.
According to Deloris, the center will be fundamental in providing end-to-end care for GBV survivors and their families in the country.
“I have been here for a while, working through various governments from the Kibaki era. This centre is for you as the people of Kenya; this is your country," she said.
"I’m just a foreigner, but ask yourself, what are you going to do as a person to support the fight against GBV? It's not only women; we need men. Kenya Women and Children’s Wellness Centre is about family,” she added.
In the past 15 years, Michael Jordan's mother has made significant contributions to Kenya through her philanthropic efforts, especially focusing on the well-being of women and children.
In 2009, she established the KWCWC in Nairobi. The center, located in Kasarani, Nairobi, has since then provided healthcare, gender-based violence support, and community outreach programs to families in the country.
The country has reported a surge in GBV cases, with over 97 cases recorded since August.
According to a report by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics, gender-based violence, including femicide, has been steadily rising in the past five years.
A country like Kenya is targeting the end of gender-based violence by 2026.
