7M BOOST TO NATIONAL MUSIC FESTIVAL BY KENYA COMMERCIAL BANK FOUNDATION

KENYA COMMERCIAL BANK FOUNDATION GIVES NATIONAL MUSIC FESTIVAL 7M BOOST

By Patience Chemjor

KCB Foundation gives Kenya National Music Festival Ksh.7Million Boost

KCB Foundation through its flagship youth empowerment programme, 2Jiajijri announced a Ksh 7 million sponsorship to this year’s Kenya National Music Festival under the auspices of the Ministry of Education.

2jiajiri was a theme throughout the festivals and the top-ranked from the counties will converge to compete at the national event.

KCB Foundation Managing Director Jane Mwangi said the decision to sponsor the festivals was informed by the fact that it is an opportunity to educate young people about the same important socio-economic issues that 2jiajiri seeks to address.

“Our aim is to influence culture at the nascent age all through to adulthood by inculcating the spirit of entrepreneurship through songs, poems and drama.

By adulthood, these students will have entrepreneurship as the default thinking as opposed to job seeking.

We are re-setting the mind sets of our youth,” said Ms Mwangi.

“We look forward to seeing how the various institutions of learning have packaged the ideas around encouraging the development of youthful entrepreneurs in the informal sector to ease the country’s unemployment crisis,” she added.

This year’s music festival will be held at Kabarak University in Nakuru County from Saturday, 3rd August to Thursday, 15th August, 2019, with the outstanding performances then being presented to the President.

The Executive Secretary of the Kenya Music Festivals Ms Ruth Agesa thanked KCB Foundation for the support it had given the Ministry of Education in financing the 93rd edition of the festivals.

Ms Agesa said the 2jiajiri category KCB Foundation had sponsored was timely saying thousands of learners had come to appreciate the opportunities for entrepreneurship that 2jiajiri programme holds for youth.

“More than 51 entries under the 2jiajiri theme have qualified for the Nationals and will perform at the respective slotted times between 3rd and 8th August 2019.

These entries make great educational material in enlightening the youth and general public on the alternative ways to create job opportunities and earn a living,” Ms Agesa added.

KCB has been a committed partner in growing culture and sports in the country and has supported both at every level.

This year the organisation supported the WRC Safari Rally to the tune of Ksh 50 million and the Karen Masters to the tune of Ksh 28 million.

The organisation recognises the role culture and sports play in the existence and survival of communities, particularly for social cohesion, solidarity, stability, identity, promoting unity and economic development and as tools for effective sustainable development.

About 2jiajiri:

2jiajiri is the flagship enterprise development and wealth creation programme for the youth, launched in March 2016.

The programme seeks to empower 10,000 youth every year to start small businesses that will employ at least 5 people each.

This translates to 50,000 jobs for young people directly created through this programme by the end of the 5 years.

2jiajiri works by walking the journey to success with the youth and reaching through 4 key milestones on the path to self-sufficiency namely: technical and vocational training, access to financial services including start-up and working capital, enterprise management support and formal linkages to customers and suppliers in the larger market that ensure long-term sustainability.