A free eye screening camp was one of the benefits for the secondary school and university students attending this year’s KenGen Foundation Annual Mentorship. The medical check up, conducted by Jambo Eye Care, saw over 140 of the participants evaluated for common eye ailments and disorders.
During the session, the team led by Dr. Swati Patel, identified 72 patients who needed further review. The medics pledged to further carry out comprehensive tests and dispense spectacles and medication where required.
Separately, Transform Nations, a non-profit organization with a wealth of experience in transformational leadership training and life skills coaching, guided this year’s mentorship symposium. The facilitators incorporated new ideas that capture the rapidly changing digital environment of the millennials during the 3-day program.
READ MORE: Education Scholarships Program Welcomes 26 KenGen Mentors
26 KenGen staff mentors were also trained on the goals of mentorship and addressing challenges along the way, basic counseling skills, the pros and cons of mentorship among others. Their trainers committed to monitoring and reporting on the mentees and mentors progress over a period of one year.
This year’s symposium also introduced new staff speakers. Ms. Beatrice Kandie, KenGen’s Performance and Training Manager, Joseph Gitati, KenGen’s Accountant, and Patrick Gikunju, KenGen’s Chief Engineer – Safety, gave talks aimed at encouraging the students to focus and work hard in their studies.
READ ALSO: 65 Students Awarded KenGen Education Scholarships 2019
The mentorship partnerships reflect the Foundation’s approach to KenGen’s overall Corporate Social Investment activities (CSI) and illustrate the steps that the company is taking to ensure that it is, and remains, a good corporate citizen.
“The KenGen Foundation strives to assist the students under the KenGen Education Scholarships realize their potential and become better citizens and major players in the realization of the country’s social and economic goals,” said Anthony Igecha, the Foundation’s Managing Trustee.
“We value our new partnerships and look forward to expanding our collaborations to drive innovation and learning among our beneficiaries,” he added.
KenGen’s role in supporting education and mentorship makes a valuable contribution to the continuing development of a learning society.
Apart from partnering in the implementation of education initiatives, the Foundation has collaborated with other like-minded organizations in environmental conservation and water and sanitation projects.
Through project models that are replicable and scalable the Foundation has been able to engage industry professionals, with the necessary experience and expertise, to ensure the implementation of sustainable projects in reflection of the Sustainable Development Goal 17 on partnerships.
Though such partnerships are not new, the approach to this model of philanthropy has shifted. Non-profit organizations come to the table realizing that they can’t solve all the problems by themselves. Now more than ever, organizations are seeking partners with different expertise and innovation, and not just in philanthropy, to address issues and fill in the gaps
KenGen PLC purposefully set up the KenGen Foundation in 2012 to be the main driver of its Corporate Social Investment activities. Working within the three pillars of Education Scholarships, Environment Conservation, and Water & Sanitation, the Foundation works within a model of partnerships that add value to the company’s CSR activities.
Apart from administering the company’s bursary fund for secondary and university scholars, the Education Scholarships program has grown to now include mentorship and schools infrastructure support. The environment conservation program has also evolved to include continuous capacity building sessions for targeted communities inclusive of monitoring and evaluation of the project. The provision of water and sanitation has also shifted to take into consideration the agricultural needs of the projects beneficiaries.
The CSI activities are directly linked to the company’s business strategy and raise the profile of KenGen as a responsible corporate citizen. The Foundation’s Employee Giver Initiative gives KenGen staff an opportunity to contribute directly to CSR activities thus strengthening the business process and contributing to society at the same time.
Partnering is key to the Foundation’s CSI strategies, and this grounded in mutually beneficial value-creation. It’s no longer about giving things away — it’s about building up people, who in turn build up their community.
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–Ernest Nyamasyo, Communication Officer