Tim, Jean, and Phil: The Brains Behind Marie Stopes Kenya

Marie Stopes Kenya (MSK) is an affiliate of MSI – Reproductive Choices. It is registered in Kenya as a local Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) operating within Kenya.

MSK has been providing access to high-quality and affordable sexual and reproductive health services (SRH) to all Kenyans since 1985.

It works with the Kenyan government and other stakeholders to ensure the poorest and hardest-to-reach clients can access affordable SRH services that meet their needs.

MSI was founded in 1976 to ensure women’s access to high-quality, client-centred contraception and abortion care.

It was founded by three reproductive health pioneers: Tim Black CBE, Jean Black, and Phil Harvey.

Jean was Tim’s wife, while Phil was his friend.

Tim realised the importance of reproductive healthcare during his extensive medical studies and by delivering healthcare first-hand in places like New Guinea.

He met Phil during their master’s degree, and they realized their passion for reproductive health and chose to pursue it.

Leasing the London clinic 

Tim returned to London and found that the central London building that held the Marie Stopes Mothers’ Clinic was closing.

This clinic, which opened in 1925, faced opposition from a male-dominated medical workforce and the Catholic church to offer women advice and contraception.

The three bought the building lease in 1976 and started the MSI.

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MSI Began as Marie Stopes International

Tim, Jean, and Phil named the first clinic, Marie Stopes International, to recognise the origins of that first clinic.

They focused on expanding healthcare internationally and later called the organisation MSI Reproductive Choices.

From the UK to Uganda, MSI has always stood out from the crowd by being a ‘social business’, using a hybrid operating model that draws inspiration from both the non-profit and commercial worlds. We have evolved over time as we’ve gained expertise and data, and listened to our frontline teams and clients, allowing us to iterate our services and achieve the greatest impact.

Partnership & Growth 

Sri Lanka and Kenya were among the first countries to set up MSI programmes in 1983 and 1986, respectively.

Reproductive healthcare pioneers around the globe followed suit, including Dr Mohsina Bilgrami in Pakistan

Dr. Mohsina is still serving MSI as a Board member.

In 1991, she set up an MSI programme from the guest room of her house, expanding over time to serve millions.

MSI is made up of almost 9,000 team members who are rooted in the communities they serve, from major cities to rural villages.

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Global Reach and Operations in Kenya

Since 1976, we’ve expanded to 36 countries across six continents.

In Kenya, MSK has 14 Centres of Excellence, including 3 Nursing Homes in Eastleigh, Nairobi, Mombasa, and Kisumu.

The Centres offer quality comprehensive Sexual Reproductive Health (SRH) services including Family Planning, Maternity (ANC, Delivery and PNC) and general outpatient services to men and women with special attention to adolescent-friendly services.

In 2021, over 860,000 clients were reached through MSK’s service delivery points spread across the country.

Marie Stopes’ strategy in Kenya was developed to ensure compliance with national strategies around reach, procurement of family planning (FP) supplies from national supply chains, and delivery systems.

MSK is an active participant in the SRH sector in Kenya, including the Kenya Health Federation, the National Adolescence SRH Technical Working Group, and other national and county-level technical working groups.

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