Welcome
At the Millennium Summit in September 2000, the largest gathering of world leaders in history adopted the UN Millennium Declaration, committing their nations to a new global partnership to reduce extreme poverty and setting out a series of time-bound targets, with a deadline of 2015, which have become known as the Millennium Development Goals.
The eight MDGs are global targets for addressing extreme poverty in its many dimensions—income poverty, hunger, disease, lack of adequate shelter and exclusion—while promoting gender equality, education and environmental sustainability. They are also basic human rights, the rights of each person on the planet to food, health, education, shelter and security. Those global targets must be translated into local action.
By early 2004, concerns had been raised that most of Africa had gotten off track with respect to achieving the MDGs, so the Earth Institute at Columbia University in New York and the UN Millennium Project (UNMP) established the MDG Technical Support Centre in Nairobi in July of that year.
The Centre, renamed The MDG Centre in 2006, initially focused on policy support at the national level to selected pilot countries of the UNMP (Kenya, Ethiopia, Senegal and Ghana). With the successful completion of the UNMP in late 2006, the Centre broadened its scope of work to include advisory services and support to the Millennium Villages Project (MVP) and to scale up MDG-related interventions to district and national levels in East and Southern Africa.
The MDG Centre operates in seven countries in East and Southern Africa--Ethiopia, Kenya, Malawi, Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda—and has plans to engage with at least three more countries in the region. The Centre also provides technical backstopping to the only Millennium Village in Asia, in the Samlaut district of Cambodia.
A second MDG Centre with a mandate for West and Central Africa was established in Bamako, Mali, in 2006.
News
Improved eyesight gives patients a new lease on life in Ruhiira April 2013
Why Columbia set up an innovation center in Kenya April 2013
Tanzania hosts global 'One Million Community Health Workers Campaign' forum April 2013
Progress toward sustainability via agribusiness in Malawi April 2013
With 1000 days to reach the MDGs, a look back and forward April 2013
Book distribution ceremony at Ilolangulu primary school February 2013
Inside Kenya's Sauri Millennium Village: a beacon of hope in integrated development February 2013
MDGs Case Study: Kenya January 2013
University Opens Its First Global Center in Africa January 2013
Kibaki says he's proud of reforms in education sector January 2013
Columbia University opens first Center for Africa in Nairobi January 2013
Columbia University establishes first center for Africa in Nairobi January 2013
Columbia University launches Nairobi centre January 2013
Columbia University established its first center for Africa in Nairobi January 2013
Africa: Sustainable Development Solutions Network Announces New Regional Center in Africa January 2013
Africa: Columbia University Establishes First Global Center for Africa January 2013
University Opens Global Center in Nairobi, Kenya January 2013
New Nairobi Global Center first in Africa January 2013
Sustainable Development Solutions Network Announces New Regional Centers in Africa January 2013
US varsity opens regional research centre in Nairobi January 2013
Smart dispenser takes water closer to the poor January 2013
Columbia University of US opens Nairobi global center January 2013
Columbia University opens center for Africa in Nairobi January 2013
Center sets up research base in Africa January 2013
Columbia University sets up center in Nairobi January 2013
Kibaki opens Columbia University Africa center January 2013
Launch of varsity's new center January 2013
Unique teaching center launched January 2013
New Nairobi hub to ride on ICT solutions for development January 2013
Research Hub Welcome January 2013
Millennium Villages launch Connect to Learn scholarship in ZA October 2012
Country school kids build global class room October 2012
Communicating science in the developing world, but how? October 2012
Unilever announces new initiative October 2012
Global Handwashing Day: Need for greater political commitment, investment and cooperation October 2012
Unilever brings hygiene education to Millennium Villages October 2012
How business is leading the battle to solve global sanitation crisis October 2012
Earth Institute and Unilever partner to improve one billion lives October 2012
Kenya on track to achieve child Millennium Development Goals October 2012
Unilever and Millennium Villages Promote Handwashing October 2012
Saving 600,000 lives a year - what will it take October 2012
Unilever Addresses Public Health Crisis October 2012
Poverty, Access, Malnutrition and Hygiene: Pursuing an integrated solution for the Millennium Development Goals October 2012
Washing up and saving lives by the millions October 2012
Handwashing Day Marked October 2012
Kenya joins Global Handwashing Day October 2012
UN announces Sachs' leadership of new Sustainability Initiative September 2012
Rwanda to scale-up Millennium Villages approach nation wide September 2012
"Ekirooto," the dreaming weaver cooperative August 2012
Daily Mail retracts false claim about Millennium Villages August 2012
Millennium Villages summer internship blogs August 2012
Evaluating the impact of aid to Africa: Lessons from the Millennium Villages July 2012
In Uganda con Tommy Hilfiger: la poverta e la speranza June 2012
Souvenirs d’Ouganda June 2012
Tommy Hilfiger aide l'Ouganda June 2012
Tommy Hilfiger Helpt Afrika June 2012
Millennium Villages corrects Lancet paper May 2012
Global health within our grasp, if we dont give up May 2012
Millennium Villages show how a little money can go a long way in vital healthcare May 2012
Village Project a Success in Curbing Child Deaths May 2012
Breatkthroughs in health in the Millennium Villages May 2012
Development Project Touts Healhty Victory May 2012
Child mortality down by a third in Jeffrey Sachs's Millennium Villages May 2012
Events
Evaluating the impact of aid to Africa: Lessons from the Millennium Villages July 2012
New health and community facilities in Sauri, July 2011
Merck Foundation supports the CHW program, May 2011
UNAIDS-MVP partnership: results review, April 2011
Scholarships to 19 students from Mbola, March 2011
Read now Ruhiira's first newsletter, March 2011
Media
Food For thought: Nourishing Young Bodies and Minds in Sauri, Kenya
Connect to Learn student interviews in Mwandama, Malawi
A Pathway to Achieving the Millennium Development Goals by 2015
Packed and Ready To Go: Community Health Workers in the Millennium Villages with FEED Backpacks
Breaking Through: Millennium Villages Project Year Five