Faith Kipyegon commissions community project aimed at saving lives

Multiple Olympic and World champion Faith Kipyegon has partnered with-among others-Nike to construct a maternity wing at her ancestral home in Keringet.

The world record holder, while breaking ground on Sunday, 25 January, in Nakuru County, for the 'Dare to Dream Maternity Ward' termed the start of the project a "breakthrough that matters far beyond sport".

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"Last year, I took on a project called Breaking4. It was about pushing boundaries, about daring to chase something many people said was impossible. I did it to inspire women around the world to believe in themselves. To believe that their dreams, no matter how big, are valid.

But today is about a different kind of breakthrough. A breakthrough that matters far beyond sport. A breakthrough that touches life itself," she wrote in her social media accounts.

Kipyegon narrates her experience growing up in Keringet and seeing something that breaks her heart far too often. "I see women go into labour full of hope, carrying life, carrying dreams and too many times, they come back empty-handed. Not because they did anything wrong. But because the care they needed was too far away, too limited, or simply not good enough."

For a long time, she says she's carried a dream in her heart to help change this reality by creating a place where women feel safe when they give life.

"Today, that dream takes its first powerful step. Together with Nike, and together with this community, we are building a maternity wing here. A dedicated space for women and children.

A place designed to provide better birth care, close to home. A place where mothers are supported, respected, and protected. A place where life begins with strength.

This project is not about me. It is about the women who will walk through these doors with courage. It is about the babies who will take their first breath here. It is about families who will return home whole. It is about showing that when women are supported, entire communities rise.

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Today, as we break ground, we also break silence. We say clearly: women deserve better care. Mothers deserve safety. Children deserve a strong start to life.

Today, we are not just building walls. We are building possibility. We are building dignity. We are building a future.

I am looking forward to develope this project further with the support of Nike, the Order of Malta, the Franciscan Sisters of The Immaculate Conception and the local community."

The project is launched as the country grapples with high maternal mortality with data showing an estimated 355 deaths per 100,000 live births.

The country is hosting International Maternal Newborn Health Conference (IMNHC) in March 2026, focusing on strengthening accountability, sharing best practices to improve care quality, and accelerating progress toward reducing maternal and newborn deaths.