By Tony Wafula, Bungoma
KCB Foundation and Webuye East Constituency have teamed up to support the youth through a Sh5 million job creation programme.
The programme will see KCB Foundation introduce its 2Jiajiri technical skills and job creation initiative in the constituency, aimed at accelerating technical and vocational skills training as well micro enterprises development.
Through the programme, 100 youth have been commissioned to receive National Industrial Training Authority (NITA) certified technical skills training at Matili Technical Training Institute in Kimilili Constituency followed by business development training to nurture and grow micro enterprises locally.
This initiative will be implemented in collaboration with the Webuye East National Government-Constituency Development Fund (NG-CDF) kicking off a transformative journey towards self-reliance and economic prosperity.
Notably, the initiative targets 70 per cent of its participants to be young women, reflecting the program’s commitment to inclusivity and recognizing the pivotal role women play in driving social and economic change.
Speaking during the commissioning on the program in Webuye, Deputy Chief of Party at KCB Foundation, Bernard Barasa, expressed optimism about the partnership affirming that I would spur youth creativity and position them to become critical levers for sustained economic development.
“At KCB Foundation, we are passionate about creating opportunities for the youth to lead dignified lives and dent the youth unemployment challenge,” he stated.
He added, “We focus on MSMEs and youth development through technical skills, as these skills have high demand and multiplier effect in the marketplace. Our goal is to catalyze the informal sector by creating job opportunities and growing micro enterprises at grassroot levels,”
On his part, Webuye East MP Martin Wanyonyi, hailed the 2Jiajiri programme as a transformative step towards empowering youths and improving their livelihoods.
“As a constituency, we are committed to creating opportunities for young people to access dignified work and this partnership with the KCB Foundation will play an integral role in denting youth unemployment in Webuye East,” the Ford Kenya MP noted.
KCB Foundation and MasterCard Foundation have been partnering with counties, the National Government and other stakeholders in Kenya to implement the Young Africa Works (YAW) program, which trains and equips youths with relevant technical skills, preparing them to thrive in the job market.
Each training lasts for six months and consists of three months in the classroom and three months of industrial attachment to address the technical skills gaps.
Upon completing their attachment, the trainees are channeled into existing employment opportunities.
Those aspiring to establish micro-enterprises receive comprehensive support from KCB Bank through KCB Foundation.
This includes access to Business Development Services (BDS), trade-specific starter toolkits and working capital to kick-start their ventures successfully.
Since 2016, the 2Jiajiri programme has created 150,555 jobs and trained 35,195 youth in various technical skills countrywide.
Currently, 10,954 youth are under the mentorship wing with the KCB Foundation business development officer. KCB Bank has disbursed 267million loans to support youth owned enterprises and issued 2,225 startup toolkits (tools for trade) to 2Jiajiri participants, with 6,535 businesses trained on financial literacy.
