NEWS

Commercial Bank of Africa/JA Partnership

16 June 2004: Commercial Bank of Africa (CBA) has donated Kshs 200,000 to Junior Achievement Kenya (JAK) towards the implementation of JAK education programs. JA is a not-for-profit organisation that educates and inspires young people to value free enterprise, business, and economics to improve the quality of their lives.

CBA has been and continues to be a primary partner of JAK. Indeed, CBA was instrumental in the launching of JA in Kenya in April 1999. Since then, CBA has been a Gold Sponsor, donating Kshs 200,000 annually to print classroom materials and co-ordinate the program. JAK has also received substantial in-kind support towards its fundraising events, a venue for board and volunteer meetings, and donations of office furniture.

More than 50 employees of CBA in Nairobi and Mombasa have contributed their time as classroom volunteers to teach JA programs. Many more have taken part in our Job Shadow and Mentors-on-Call programs.

CBA has also played an active role in the governance of JAK. Mr. Isaac Awuondo, the Managing Director, served on the founding Board of Directors, while Mr. Paul Kihiu, a Senior Client Relationship Manager at CBA HQ in Nairobi, is the current Finance Director for JAK. Ms. Elizabeth Wassuna, of CBA Mombasa Branch, serves on the Advisory Council of JAK in Mombasa.

JA provides in-school economic education programs, facilitated by volunteers and funded through the local business community. JAK high school programs include Leadership Skills, Enterprise in Action, International Marketplace, Personal Economics, Life Skills, Success Skills and Job Shadow.

To date, the support from CBA and other organisations over the last four years (1999-2004) has enabled JA Kenya to reach at least 35,000 students in 40 high schools, with the help of more than 1,200 business volunteers.

JAK is delighted that CBA has further cemented our relationship with its donation and commitment to support our 2004 programs. It is this support that makes a difference as we try to plan the reach of our programs to a greater number of our youth.