KCB Foundation has injected Sh2.5 million for technical skills and micro-enterprises development of youth in Webuye East constituency.
Through its 2Jiajiri initiative, the foundation partnered with the constituency to empower youth to run small businesses. Webuye East NGCDF will also contribute Sh2.5 million towards the programme.
During the launch of the programme, 100 youth were commissioned to receive National Industrial Training Authority certified technical skills training at Matili Technical Training Institute.
This will be followed by a business development training.
“At KCB Foundation, we are passionate about creating opportunities for the youth to lead dignified lives and dent the unemployment challenge,” the foundation’s deputy chief of party Bernard Barasa said.
The partnership will start a transformative journey towards self reliance and economic prosperity for residents.
More than 70 per cent of the beneficiaries will be young women to reflect inclusivity and recognition of the pivotal role women play in driving social and economic change.
“We focus on MSMEs and youth development through technical skills as these skills have a high demand and multiplier effect in the marketplace. Our goal is to catalyse the informal sector by creating job opportunities and growing micro enterprises at the grassroots,” Barasa said.
He expressed optimism that the partnership will also spur youth creativity and position them to become critical levers for sustained economic development.
Webuye East MP Martin Wanyonyi praised the 2Jiajiri programme for its role in empowering youth and improving their livelihoods.
“As a constituency, we are committed to creating opportunities for young people to access dignified work and this partnership with KCB Foundation will play an integral role in reducing youth unemployment in Webuye East,” he said.
The MP also urged the government to ensure job opportunities in foreign countries are fairly distributed.
“Kenya has demonstrated that it has the capacity to export skilled labour but we’ve had a challenge with bureaus which vet beneficiaries. Let those bureaus be distributed countrywide so that all youth can try their luck”.
KCB and MasterCard Foundations have been partnering with counties and the national government to implement the Young Africa Works programme, which trains and equips youths with relevant technical skills, preparing them to thrive in the job market.
The sixmonth trainings consist of three months in the classroom and three months of industrial attachment. Afterwards, the trainees are channelled into existing employment opportunities while others are given comprehensive support from KCB Bank through KCB Foundation.
This support includes access to Business Development Services, trade-specific starter toolkits and working capital to start businesses.
Since 2016, the 2Jiajiri programme has created 150,555 jobs and trained 35,195 youth skills countrywide. Currently, about 10,954 youth are under mentorship under the KCB Foundation business development office.
KCB Bank has also disbursed loans worth Sh267 million to support youth-owned enterprises and issued 2,225 start-up toolkits to 2Jiajiri participants, with 6,535 businesses trained on financial literacy.
Malili Technical Training Institute principal Judith Sande said the participants will be trained on hairdressing, beauty therapy, masonry, plumbing and hospitality.
“This programme is vital to our
institution because its supports
our core mandate which is training
youths and making them employable
and employers,” she said.