KCB Foundation and Bidco Africa Limited entered into a strategic partnership on Monday to support thousands of dairy farmers through provision of discounted animal feeds and agribusiness contracts.
The deal will benefit at least 1,000 youth and offer annual internship opportunities for over 1,500 youth across counties.
The partnership, which is part of KCB’s Sh50 billion 2Jiajiri programme will benefit agricultural development across identified value chains through the provision of technical support, identification and development of market linkages.
As a result, each year over 900 youth will have the skills and expertise needed to enter and grow ready markets such as sunflower and soybean oilseed markets.
“As the private sector we have synergies to be shared through partnerships and collaborations as steps in helping the country develop economically and tackle the heavy burden of youth unemployment in the country,” said Jane Mwangi, the KCB Foundation Director.
To further enhance this partnership, KCB Foundation will provide field based competency skilling of youths in the fields of agriculture, construction, beauty & personal services, automobile services and domestic services.
This partnership will see Bidco offer internship opportunities to 1,500 2jiajiri beneficiaries annually over the next five years.
Ms Mwangi said that the 2jiajiri program is informed by the belief that the youth hold the key to building a stronger and better country.
“It is this belief that led us to develop a program that strategically engages the youth in a way that will propel them to become self-reliant, productive citizens with visions of a brighter future not only for themselves but for generations to come,” she added.
The partnership is designed to train, incubate and introduce 2Jiajiri programme beneficiaries to ready market linkages.
Vimal Shah, the Chief Executive Officer at Bidco Africa Ltd said that this partnership agreement between KCB Foundation and Bidco Africa Ltd will jointly pool resources, skills and experiences to enable youth and entrepreneurs in small informal businesses in poor and rural communities to start and grow their businesses.
Additionally, Bidco Africa Ltd will engage the youth through distributorship contracts and marketing initiatives that promote the use of Bidco animal feeds to 6,000 plus dairy farmers involved in KCB Foundation’s Mifugo ni Mali program.
“We acknowledge the great contribution agriculture makes to the national GDP and we are committed to supporting the sector,” he added.
Mr Shah noted that entrepreneurship is turning out to be the engine of emerging markets in Africa and especially in Kenya through job creation.
He added that this one year partnership between KCB Foundation and Bidco Africa underscores the firm’s belief in inclusive growth in agribusiness.