Marie Stopes International (MSI) headquartered in London, UK, is one of the largest, most effective, full-range family planning organizations operating in the developing world, and PIC is one of its most enthusiastic supporters. Unfortunately, however, being a non-Canadian foreign organization, donations made directly to MSI by Canadians are not tax-deductible – despite the fact that a significant proportion of Canada’s family planning foreign aid is disbursed through MSI.  

To overcome the lack of charitable status in Canada, MSI has now partnered with KBF Canada, a registered Canadian charity and a member of the King Baudouin Foundation, an international philanthropic network. KBF Canada is currently supporting a significant MSI project in the vast Sahel area, providing services in Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, and Senegal. 

The Sahel is one of the poorest, most underdeveloped regions in the world.  Nearly half of its rapidly growing population of 71 million is under 15 years of age. Women in the Sahel give birth to five children on average and many become mothers while still teenagers.  Less than 20% of women of reproductive age use modern contraceptive methods, and 25% of all married women who want to use contraception can’t do so.

MSI began work in the Sahel in 2008. It now delivers family planning services via 9 centres and 33 outreach teams, with promising results. In 2018, over 1.1 million women and girls in the Sahel were using a family planning method provided by MSI, preventing an estimated 350,000 unintended pregnancies, 240,000 unsafe abortions and 1,800 maternal deaths.

You can support MSI’s work in the Sahel by cheque, direct deposit, and by credit card. Donations to KBF Canada in support of MSI’s project should be designated as “Project D303 – Reproductive Choices in the Sahel.” If the donation is by cheque, that designation should be written on the “Pay to the order of” line of the cheque.

Tax-deductable donations to support the MSI Sahel project can be made:

  • by mail (KBF – Canada, 1 Place Ville Marie, Suite 1670, Montreal, QC H3B 2B6);
  • by direct deposit by emailing KBF Canada at [email protected] or calling 1-514-481-2000; or
  • by credit card on KBF Canada’s webpage about the Sahel project.

MSI’s partnership with KBF Canada offers a unique opportunity for Canadians to support the family planning work of Marie Stopes International in a part of the world where it is most urgently needed. Please consider donating to this important project.