To build a country | Patrick Ndimubanzi | TEDxEustonChange

PATRICK NDIMUBANZI was recently sworn in as Minister of State in the Ministry of Health in charge of Public Health and Primary Health Care in Rwanda. Ndimubanzi’s beautifully woven TEDxEuston 2014 talk shed a bright light on the immense progress Rwanda’s Health Ministry has made since 1994.  The statistics are impressive with 90% of Rwandans covered by health insurance. Ndibumanzi’s showed that the determination of the Rwandan government to put people first is a real testament to the present government’s desire to move on the narrative from 1994.

But his talk was not really about data - but about the relativity of different narratives - which he summed up in this memorable quote: ‘beyond the numbers, beyond the statistics, we are improving people's lives.”

Thanks to TEDxChange, we were able to put this story of hope and progress on the TEDxEuston stage.

Watch his talk here and share this with everyone working in the health space in Africa.

Introducing TEDxEuston 2012 Speakers - Frank Njenga

On the continent, we generally struggle with how to deal with mental illness. In the health sectors of most countries, it is the most neglected of all medical specialities. So in our search for exceptional people to share their ideas on the TEDxEuston stage we found one of Kenya's leading psychiatrists; Dr Frank Njenga. Dr Njenga has been championing the cause of better mental health care in Kenya and the continent for more than three decades. In an interview with CNN's African Voices he said;

"The truth and reality is that very little has been done systematically and deliberately by government or by ourselves to bring up the level of mental health in this part of the world,"

In Kenya, the ratio of psychiatrists to the population is one psychiatrist to half a million people....and that is probably one of the better served countries in the continent. At TEDxEuston, we will not run away from the difficult issues in our society - but we will bring to you the exceptional people that are tackling them head on - one of these is Dr Frank Njenga. He is our second ever speaker from Kenya!

Frank Njenga is a Consultant Psychiatrist in private practice in Nairobi, Kenya, where he has practiced for thirty years. He was the founder President of the African Association of Psychiatrists and Allied Professions (AAPAP). Dr Njenga was appointed by the President of Kenya to chair the (NACADA) - National Campaign Against Drug Abuse Authority Board which is the body that advices the Kenya Government on Drug and Alcohol policies. In addition to his medical practice, he is Founder Chair of the Institute of Education in Democracy (IED), an Africa wide election monitoring body, as well as active campaigner for Democracy in Africa. He is an author of many scientific papers, books and book chapters, including children’s’ books.

Get your ticket TODAY!

Toyin Saraki at TEDxEuston - An Unlikely Activist

When we first heard Mrs Toyin Saraki speak on CNN's African voices, we knew there was something special about this lady who belonged to an elite group of women married to state governors in Nigeria called "First Ladies". Before we approached her to speak at TEDxEuston, we examined the work she did in detail and her commitment to the health of women and children which was the focus her efforts. We found an unusual commitment to improving their fate. Unlike most other women who found themselves in her position, her work has not faded after the days close to the corridors of power but it has grown from strength to strength. So, how did all this come about? How did a woman born into relative privilege develope an instinct and perseverance that appears to grow stronger by the day? We asked ourselves the same question....

To find out - watch her talk here!

Mrs. Toyin Saraki is the Founder-President of The WellBeing Foundation, a prominent front-line maternal and child health focused Non-Governmental Organization in Nigeria. She was until recently the First Lady of Kwara State in Nigeria. Having held various leadership positions in humanitarian organizations for close to two decades, Mrs Saraki now dedicates much of her time to the work of The WellBeing Foundation and various networks of organizations that the NGO works with. She constantly advocates for accountability and improved public health policies, better working relationships between NGOs and the continuum of care for maternal, newborn and child health in communities. These efforts have made Mrs. Saraki one of the most heard voices on every issue relating to the health of mothers and children in Nigeria. Her Wellbeing Foundation Africa's 24-7-365 MDG Countdown to 2015 Advocacy And Action Campaign has integrated a strong advocacy profile with a unique model of community participation, direct action, effective communication and the development of innovative funding mechanisms in a resource constrained environment, to ensure universal access to quality basic healthcare. Mrs. Saraki gained her bachelor’s degree in law at the University of London School Of Oriental and African Studies and her masters’ degree in International Economic Law at University of London King’s College. She has researched and promoted the rights of women and children. In 2007 she was appointed Chair of the Federation of International Women Lawyers (FIDA) Committee on the Protection of Children while more recently she has taken up a key roles as a supporter for the United Nations Secretary General's Every Woman Every Child Effort, as Board Chair of the White Ribbon Alliance Nigeria, Member of the Africa Justice Foundation and The Global Foundation For The Elimination Of Domestic Violence.