CNN journalist Larry Madowo expressed joy and excitement after moderating a major education fundraising event at the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
The high-level session secured $3.5 billion—equivalent to Ksh 453 billion (or Ksh 453,620,597,500)—in less than two hours.
Madowo enthusiastically referred to the international gathering as a “small small global ‘harambee'”, using the traditional Kenyan term for communal pooling of resources.
The entire process took just 90 minutes to raise the initial pledges, with the final total reached in under two hours.
“I hosted an event that raised a modest $3.5 BILLION in 90 minutes yesterday at the UN General Assembly in New York! This small small global “harambee” ended with Ksh 453 BILLION in under 2 hours,” Madowo said.
The funds will directly support public education initiatives across 90 lower-income countries. The ultimate objective of the drive is ensuring that no child is left behind due to a lack of schooling resources.
For Madowo, hosting the session carried deep personal resonance. His mother worked as a school teacher in rural Kenya, making the achievement especially meaningful to him.
“It will fund education in 90 lower-income countries so that no child is left behind. My mom was a teacher in rural Kenya, so this is personal to me,” he added.
High-Level Leadership and Key Global Figures
The event was officially titled the “Multiply Possibility High-Level Event. It was convened under the joint leadership of the governments of Italy and Nigeria.
A distinguished panel of international leaders attended the session to back what was described as the world’s best investment: education. Key attendees included Nigeria’s Vice President Shettima and Italy’s Deputy Prime Minister Antonio Tajani.
They were joined by UN Deputy Secretary-General Amina J Mohammed, Nobel Peace Laureate Malala Yousafzai, and Global Partnership for Education (GPE) Board Chair Jakaya Mrisho Kikwete.
Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu highlighted the essential role of global education financing. President Tinubu stated that supporting the Global Partnership for Education helps nations break down the barriers.
“Funding GPE helps nations like Nigeria break down the barriers that keep our children, especially our girls, out of school and away from learning,” President Bola Ahmed Tinubu said.
Breakdown of Pledges and Financial Mechanisms
The total $3.5 billion in commitments includes direct donor pledges alongside targeted co-financing arrangements.
- Sovereign Donor Pledges: $2.1 billion in confirmed and anticipated pledges committed directly by sovereign donors to the GPE.
- Co-Financing Commitments: $1.4 billion secured through parallel financing partners.
- $1 billion committed from development finance institutions.
- $400 million contributed by philanthropic organisations and private sector partners.
When deployed alongside standard GPE grants, co-financing unlocks an average of $4 for every $1 of core GPE resources.
