Firm invests Sh790m to boost holistic learning models
Global Philanthropic Investment Firm and its Kenyan Partners partners plan to invest US$7 million (Sh790 million) in Sub-Saharan Africa to support holistic learning models and community initiatives.
The support will also provide for youths to pursue diverse learning opportunities inside and outside the classroom.
Speaking during the launch of the 2022 Strategy for Sub Saharan Africa Imaginable Futures recently, Principal Investment Officer Sam Mugacha said that breaking down barriers will perpetuate inequitable access to learning for youths, including girls and young women, as well as providing access to strong community support and relatable role models is critical for Kenya’s future.
“Imaginable Futures is a commitment to collaborating with all stakeholders to support learning models and initiatives that provide young people with skills, awaken their agency and provide them with the support they need to thrive,” he said.
The 2019 Kenya population census by the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics, young people make up 65 per cent of the population while close to one million Kenyans enter the job market annually.
However, less than 400 thousand are absorbed into jobs with the rest joining the job-hunting market.
This has been blamed on skills mismatch and poor choice of courses. The Covid-19 pandemic has had a seismic impact on youth in Sub-Saharan Africa, from disrupting their learning to eroding their financial security and their physical and mental health.
Data from the United Nations Children Fund (Unicef) estimates that 1.8 million Kenyan children who should be in school have either dropped out or have never been in school at all while more than 13,000 teenage girls are forced to stop their education annually due to teen pregnancies.
Imaginable Futures will collaborate with stakeholders in Kenya’s education ecosystem to co-create innovative solutions that will support all Kenyan learners’, especially adolescent girls and young mothers who are most at risk.
“Kenyan parents and communities have been worst hit economically, challenging their ability to invest more in education.
However, we should forge forward unbowed, confident that the existing networks can converge to facilitate an environment where all children and youth are endowed to learn and thrive,” says Dr Purity Ngina, Senior Researcher at AliVe Imaginable Futures, a global philanthropic investment firm.
