KCB Foundation‘s 2jiajiri Reinvents Youth Entrepreneurship in Kenya

Kenya’s youth is today more frustrated than before. With the high rates of unemployment and corruption cases that hinder development programs meant to be their leap to success, the youth have had enough.

It sounds ironical, particularly when everyone says that the youth are the leaders of tomorrow. How can they be when they are left behind? Luckily, KCB Group has been at the forefront with initiatives aimed at making their lives easier.

KCB’s Foundation, 2jiajiri, a technical and vocational training scholarships program was set up to offer the youth a bridge to the world of entrepreneurship.

The initiative was born out of the need to strengthen the small and medium based sector with an aim of empowering small business owners and helping them create jobs.

KCB Group is all about entrepreneurship, which is why it anchored the 2jiajiri program on agriculture, building and construction, beauty and personal care, automotive engineering, and domestic services.

The pillars are in line with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 17, which calls for partnerships for ideal development initiatives. KCB, therefore, looks for strategic partners to make the mandate a reality.

The Group partnered with the Technical and Vocational Training (TVET) institutions, a move which saw most of the institutions significantly increase enrollment.

KCB seeks to leverage the institutions’ equipment, the knowledge, and the capacity to drive the 2jiajiri initiative.

Currently, KCB is working with almost 200 technical institutions across the country in an initiative that has seen the colleges upgrade their training tools in alignment with the industry standards.

Through the partnership, some of these institutions have upgraded from the use of old carburetor engines for practical purposes to the use of modern ones in the automotive engineering sectors.

The Group aims to change the state of the automotive industry in Kenya where there are no certified craft practitioners for vehicle servicing, especially when Kenya still imports 80,000 second-hand cars. Under the Big 4 agenda, there are hopes of transitioning gradually into vehicle manufacturing.

Meanwhile, graduates who have interacted with KCB’s  2jiajiri program have a story to tell. Most of them have built enterprises like mechanical shops, bakeries, restaurants, cleaning services among others.

What remains is changing the national and individual morale toward jobs that require skills for only 100,000 students make it to the university every year. The rest of the students who graduate from high school barely have enough skills for the job industry, which is why through the 2jiajiri program, KCB Group looks to build their competency for them not to feel left out.

Locals skills are part of what drives the Big 4 agenda, and it might not be attained if this sector is left behind. 2jiajiri program is at the core of the country’s transformation. It is now about co-creation, that is, creating something that the youth can relate to for the sake of their future.

Development can never be achieved if a country leaves behind 70 percent of the citizens in the growth agenda. A significant number of that population, those who are hungry for success and development are the youth.

There is so much potential in young people and KCB Group knows that much. The recent partnerships with Toyota and the German International Cooperation (GIZ) have provided young entrepreneurs with a platform that allows them to leverage their automotive and smart farming skills.

Through the GIZ partnership, the youth can successfully carry out farming without using soil as evidenced by hydroponics. KCB has also developed strategic partnerships with the county governments of Meru, Makueni, Kajiado, Nairobi, and Mombasa.

Clearly, KCB Group is committed towards the betterment of the society and in a way, it is giving back to society. At the same time, it is building a remarkable economy in Kenya for a future that encompasses all.