Olympic champion Faith Kipyegon commissions life-saving maternity ward 'Dare to dream'

Kenyan track star Faith Kipyegon has commissioned the construction of a maternity ward in Keringet, Nakuru County, aimed at reducing maternal and child deaths in Kenya, a cause inspired by her own experience of motherhood.

Speaking during the groundbreaking, Kipyegon said the project reflects a deeper calling to protect life off the track, particularly in rural communities where access to quality maternal healthcare remains limited.

“Growing up in Keringet, I saw too many women go into labour full of hope, only to return empty-handed because the care they needed was too far away or not good enough,” Kipyegon said. “This maternity wing is about changing that reality, giving mothers safety, dignity, and hope.”

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“For a long time, I carried a dream in my heart — a dream to help change this reality,” she said. “A dream to create a place where women feel safe when they give life, where children come into the world with care, protection, and hope. Today, that dream takes its first powerful step.”

The Dare to Dream Maternity Ward, supported by Nike, aims to provide safe, dignified, and accessible care for mothers and newborns in the region.

Once completed, the facility is expected to significantly reduce the need for expectant mothers to travel nearly 35 kilometres to access hospital services, a journey that has often put lives at risk.

The maternity wing will be operated in partnership with the Franciscan Sisters of the Immaculate Conception, ensuring professional medical care delivered with compassion.

“Very soon, expectant mothers will walk through these doors and walk out carrying hope in their arms,” Kipyegon said.

“This wing may carry my name, but it is not about me. It is about the women who will walk through these doors with courage, the babies who will take their first breath here, and the families who will return home whole. When women are supported, entire communities rise.”

The groundbreaking ceremony brought together community leaders, clergy, and dignitaries, including Athletics Kenya President General Jackson Tuwei, who joined residents in celebrating Kipyegon’s vision and commitment to her community.

The day began on a vibrant note with a children’s cross-country race involving more than 1,000 pupils from local schools, symbolising the future the project seeks to protect.