Airtel Kenya staff demonstrated their commitment to social causes and well-being of others in the society last week by offering mentorship to students at the Mukuru Promotion Centre. The telco’s staff dedicated their time yet again to engage with students St. Michael’s Secondary School to discuss on issues affecting their education and social life.
Now in its third year, The Airtel Mentorship Program was launched as an avenue for the employees to be able to share their experiences and achievements with students especially from marginalized and underserved areas. Through these encounters, the students are motivated and encouraged to beat the odds that face them by striving for success, embracing the importance of having an education as well as identifying careers that they love and develop skills that they can use in their future.
(TOP: Marion Wambua, Senior Communications and CSR Executive, Airtel Kenya, engages the students during the mentorship program that focused on issues affecting their education and social life).
With an estimated population of over 700,000 people, Mukuru is one of the biggest slums in Nairobi that is riddled with poverty, crime, drug abuse, prostitution and other vices that are characteristic of slums all over the world. However, despite these challenges the Mukuru Promotion Centre has over the years served as an oasis that seeks to establish and operate a holistic and sustainable health, educational and social development program which addresses the basic needs of the most vulnerable in the community.
In a statement, Airtel’s CEO, Prasanta Das Sarma lauded the staff’s continued commitment to give back to the community by taking time off work to engage and encourage the students. This is as espoused in the Airtel Spirit which is a guide for staff to engage in sustainable community development initiatives to create lasting value beyond monetary value.
“At Airtel we encourage the aspect of giving back to the community through programs such as these that empower and motivate our future generations. As such I am pleased that our staff never tires in sacrificing their time to share their expertise and experiences which greatly motivate the students. Through this mentorship program the students are connected to a network of professionals with a robust pool of varied skills and experiences that they can greatly learn from. The interactions through this program will empower students with the necessary support to enable them make the best career and personal choices in life,” Prasanta said.
Speaking during the program, John Chege, Principal, St. Michael’s Secondary appreciated the effort and support that Airtel continues to give to the school. “We are delighted and happy that the students have a chance to interact with the Airtel staff who have encouraged them to be better students and to work very hard in order to achieve their dreams. I believe that through this program the lives of not only the students will be impacted but also of the Mukuru slum at large.
Airtel continues to invest in community capacity building through the Airtel Spirit which focuses on empowering, enabling and unlocking the potential of future generations to succeed and create wealth – social, financial and health. Through its free internet for Schools program, the company has so far connected over 320 schools in 33 counties with internet connectivity and impacted the lives of over 250,000 students.
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