I had the privilege of attending a private reception and dinner hosted by the Ban-Ki-moon Foundation, marking the 3rd Anniversary of the Foundation and honouring the extraordinary legacy of the 8th Secretary-General of the United Nations, during the convergence of the 80th United Nations General Assembly High-Level Week and #Climate Week New York.

Amongst this distinguished gathering of leaders and allies, I was reminded of 2010, when Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the United Nations Foundation launched the Every Woman Every Child initiative, summoning the international community to an unprecedented coalition for the health of women, children, and adolescents

The reception, defined by fellowship, purpose, and renewed resolve, and graced by the presence of Professor Muhammad Yunus, Nobel Peace Laureate, pioneer of social business, and now Chief Adviser of the Government of Bangladesh, together with H.E. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, former President of Liberia and Nobel Peace Laureate, and Mr Ray Chambers, global health philanthropist, WHO Ambassador for Global Strategy and former UN Special Envoy for Health, evoked the spirit of shared leadership and collective action.

Through my Wellbeing Foundation Africa, I have been humbled to contribute to the EWEC movement since its inception, advocating glocally, aligning the Wellbeing Foundation Africa programming, and ensuring commitments made in global fora are upheld, a constant thread as I carry the voices of mothers, midwives, and families from the grassroots to the highest levels of decision-making.

EWEC shaped the landscape of cooperation, mobilising commitments, saving lives, and strengthening systems, with its ripples still felt today in global partnerships, in resilient health services, in the truth that women and children must remain at the core of sustainable development.

As we honoured Secretary-General Ban’s vision and the Foundation’s commitment to advancing the Sustainable Development Goals and the Paris Climate Agreement, I was reminded that lasting change is never the work of one, but of many, organised at the intersection of leadership, collaboration, and courage.

 

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