About The Speaker
Cecilia Karanja
Cecilia Karanja is a business woman, who runs a number of successful enterprises. She is humble, has a positive attitude, kind and generous, both to her family, her friends and the people she meets in the course of her business. In her earlier years, Cecilia Karanja struggled with infertility for eleven years and as a result she lost everything including her two marriages and all properties acquired during that period. She went into depression and after thorough counselling sessions and treatment she is now a wife and a proud mother of three. It is from this background that Cecilia Karanja founded Fertility Kenya. Fertility Kenya is a Medical and Health Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) registered in 2015 by the NGO Board of Kenya. To address the plight of women and men affected by infertility.
FOUNDER/CHAIRPERSON, FERTILITY KENYA
Cecilia Karanja is a business woman, who runs a number of successful enterprises. She is humble, has a positive attitude, kind and generous, both to her family, her friends and the people she meets in the course of her business. In her earlier years, Cecilia Karanja struggled with infertility for eleven years and as a result she lost everything including her two marriages and all properties acquired during that period. She went into depression and after thorough counselling sessions and treatment she is now a wife and a proud mother of three. It is from this background that Cecilia Karanja founded Fertility Kenya. Fertility Kenya is a Medical and Health Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) registered in 2015 by the NGO Board of Kenya. To address the plight of women and men affected by infertility.
In the African set up children are highly regarded and lack of siring children in marriage leads to rejection, stigmatization and discrimination in the society. Infertility is regarded as a taboo and not acceptable. Subsequently, the organization has sheltered the affected by offering a shoulder to lean on. Affected persons come forward when highly depressed, suicidal and others on the verge of losing their marriage. The organization offers counselling sessions and referrals to their members where they enjoy free consultations and discounts on treatments and even IVF in hospitals that the organization has partnered with. Fertility Kenya has partnered with major hospitals, gynecologists, adoption agencies, lawyers and counsellors in creating awareness on infertility and educating the public on the available solutions to the sensitive matter.
Through the Fertility Kenya platform, Cecilia Karanja has been hosted in major TV and Radio stations both local and international to talk about infertility, and in turn, Fertility Kenya has managed to reach millions of people. The Organization has 5000 registered members from all over the country. 30% of the members have successfully undergone IVF treatment and conceived while another 20% have had successful laparoscopy surgery. The Organization has about 50% who are awaiting treatment citing the high cost of treatment as a barrier.
Cecilia is upbeat in spreading the good news of hope, resilience and patience and above all, love. She has successfully held conferences, meetings and events, one recently being the first ever World Infertility Day event in Kenya. She highly recognizes the mental damage that arises in a society with no regard or enlightenment to infertility.
Cecilia’s dream is to support as many men and women in this tough journey of parenthood.