Java House has launched the Kuza Mentorship Program, as part of their 25th anniversary celebrations held at Gatina Primary School in Dagoretti North, Nairobi.
The mentorship program is an initiative aimed at empowering children and equipping them with soft skills for success. The program also aims to improve chances of future success, foster academic and career goals, and provide a platform for career, leadership, and talent development.
The launch event brought together various stakeholders including Food 4 Education, Malkia Strikers, and Wafalme Stars. Through the Java Foundation and in partnership with Food 4 Education and other partners, Java House provides daily hot and nutritious lunches to more than 2,500 school-going children.
The Kuza Mentorship Program will conduct a series of Kuza Talk Sessions featuring Java staff, professionals and partners with various backgrounds and skill sets. The program also includes a student leadership and talent development workshop with volunteer mentors.
Speaking at the launch, Java House CEO, Priscilla Gathungu, emphasized the need for greater investment in community initiatives noting, “We see this mentorship program as an opportunity to deepen our engagement with the community and help our children expand their horizons. Over the last couple of years we have worked with various partners to provide school lunches to over 2500 children including Gatina. Over this period we have observed increased concentration and performance in the children and we see this as the next step to better prepare our children in the schools we support, for success in life.”
On her part, Margaret Wanjiru, Headmistress Gatina Primary School said, “As a school, we are so proud of this association that has seen our children thrive. We are also excited about the potential of the partnership now that we’ve seen the volunteers from Malkia Strikers and Wafalme Stars. Last quarter as a school we qualified and participated in the regional games but did not perform as we would have liked due to lack of equipment and coaching but with the support of our volunteers I am sure we will do better in the next round.”
Java House is celebrating 25 years of excellence since its beginnings in 1999 with one branch in Nairobi. Today, the brand boasts 91 outlets across 16 cities and towns in 3 East African countries. As part of its anniversary celebrations, Java House has also hosted a children’s art competition, made visits to key stakeholders, and offered significant discounts and promotions across all its branches.