Kisumu Day receives textbook donation worth Sh600,000

By Peter Ochieng 

Learners at Kisumu Day and Boarding Secondary School have a reason to smile, after receiving a donation of textbooks worth Sh600,000.

The donation by ABSA Bank Kenya Foundation (AKF), becomes the first initiative to be implemented by the newly established social arm of the financial institution.

Speaking during the exercise at the School on Monday evening, Charles Wokabi, ABSA Kenya Head of Sustainability and Corporate Affairs said they are working in partnership with schools under the pillar of education and skills, to help learners deepen their skills as they prepare to enter the job market.

He said the Bank has had a long running partnership with Kisumu Day, having previously constructed a computer lab at the school.

“And what we are interested in with a school like Kisumu Day is a long term partnership that helps these learners prepare for their future, help build their careers, and invest in them during this stage of their lives,” he said.

He said they work with a number of schools across the country under the digital literacy program, where they have so far installed computer labs across 72 schools in the 47 counties.

Kisumu Day is one of the biggest secondary schools in Kisumu City, with a population of about 1,500 students and 62 teaching staff.

ABSA Bank Kenya Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Abdi Mohamed said in a statement, “As a brand, everything we do revolves around our purpose: Empowering Africa’s tomorrow together, one story at a time.”

“Our firm belief is that education is the key engine towards positive social change in our community and a tool that brings to the fore the potential that lies in everyone one of us. Studies have shown that there is a direct relationship between school instructional material and academic achievement, informing our decision to invest in this initiative,” he added.

The school management thanked AKF for the donation.

Last week, ABSA Bank announced the launch of the AKF, which will focus on four key programmatic pillars: entrepreneurship, education and skills, natural resource management, and health and humanitarian relief.

In the education and skills pillar, the Foundation aims at reaching 1 million young people through the ABSA Bank Ready-to-Work initiative to support 50,000 youth, through the ABSA Fellowship Program, and award 500 Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) scholarships.