This campaign by Ogilvy turned Kenya's delivery riders into a fleet of first responders

With no response lanes for emergency services, these delays have significantly lowered the chances of survival (which are up to 30-40 times less than typical industrialised countries) as every minute without emergency treatment can reduce survival rates by 10% in critical cases. These delays also lead to injuries becoming far more severe due to excessive bleeding, exposure to infections and unqualified crowd interference which often result in tragic cases of amputations or other long-term disabilities. In a country with limited affordability and access to healthcare, this can be a life destroying outcome for most citizens.

So if ambulances can't get to victims in time, we needed to empower the people who could. Those who are already on every road, at every intersection, and who witness every accident. Kenya, like many East African countries, has a massive motorcycle population, with over 200,000 Boda-Boda (motorcycle) delivery riders in Nairobi alone. We saw an opportunity to turn these riders into first responders. With the ability to move through traffic faster than any other vehicle, their mobility and prolific presence could provide critical and immediate care before EMT help arrives.

In collaboration with MyDawa (Kenya's largest medical delivery service) and the Kenya Red Cross, we launched First Boda - Kenya's first certified initiative to train Boda delivery service fleets in basic EMT skills; empowering them to provide critical emergency care by stabilising crash victims without delay.

Our comprehensive training sessions conducted by certified medical professionals covered essential accident-related skills for our entire fleet such as treating burns, abrasions, excessive bleeding, fractures, preventing infections, and stabilising victims with spine or head trauma as well as basic crowd control measures. We also developed and freely distributed emergency kits specifically crafted to detach from the delivery containers on their bikes. These kits are re-stocked after each use by MyDawa distributors at no cost to the riders.

Within the first few weeks alone, our First Boda riders are now impacting lives across Kenya's capital county by reaching over 97 suburbs and actively reducing chances of fatalities by up to 30%. With overwhelming support from the medical fraternity and rider communities alike, MyDawa is now leading the charge in collaborating with local stakeholders including the Ministry of Public Service and other rider-based delivery companies to scale this initiative nationwide.

Sammy Kamanu, EMT Specialist: “This initiative has fast-tracked the time someone receives immediate care, improving our ability to diagnose and take the next steps in treatment in a shorter time frame.”

Evans Khabeko, Boda rider: "It feels good to know that, if someone is in trouble, I can do something about it instead of standing in the crowd.”

The First Boda initiative is transforming everyday boda-boda riders into essential first responders, providing immediate care and significantly improving survival rates in accident cases. This project not only enhances public safety but also empowers the riders with valuable skills, fostering a sense of community and responsibility.

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