Citi Foundation, Junior Achievement Africa Renew Partnership to Reach African Youth  

Elizabeth Bintliff, CEO, JA Africa surrounded by young African entrepreneurs

December 3 2018//- The Citi Foundation and Junior Achievement (JA) Africa have announced the renewal of their partnership for another year.

Citi Foundation’s programmes that help young people, especially low-income youth, link education goals with skills development and employment motivated this partnership renewal. The program launches in seven countries.

Through the ‘Turning Youth Potential into Enterprise Program’, JA Africa will reach 4,550 youth in school and out of school through two programs: JA Company Program and ITS TYME (Immersion Training Strategy Targeting Young Marginalized Entrepreneurs).

The programmes will provide young men and women with training that develops their understanding of business and entrepreneurship, and builds the skills they require to establish and manage businesses.

This training is expected to result in increased financial knowledge, positive changes in financial behavior such as increased savings, and the establishment of in-school and community enterprises.

The grant funds will fund programme implementation in Gabon, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda and Zambia.

“In 2017, the Citi Foundation announced a new global philanthropic commitment to empowering young people with a $100 million investment.

The objective of the Pathways to Progress initiative is to positively impact the lives of 500,000 youth in cities around the world by 2020, supporting them into employment or entrepreneurship.

JA Africa is a critical partner in achieving our objectives, so we are delighted to be extending our partnership to help young people move towards their career goals” said Nicole Curtin, Head of Public Affairs for French West & Central Africa.

Citi Foundation will also fund the annual JA Africa Company of the Year Competition, in which teams will vie for the Citi Foundation Client Focus Award.

As in previous years, Citi volunteers will participate in the program as mentors, judges and facilitators. This grant will also fund program impact measurement for learning, as well as the operations of the JA Africa regional office.

The expectation is to deliver impact that is scalable and replicable, and that lessons learned can influence change at a strategic level.

“For nearly three decades, Citi and the Citi Foundation have been among JA’s strongest supporters globally, contributing financially to our mission and operations around the world. We are honored to continue our partnership with Citi” said Elizabeth Bintliff, CEO, JA Africa.

“With a strong track record working with local Citibank offices on the continent, JA is poised to successfully implement this program and deliver value to Africa’s youth.”

Instructively, As one of the world’s largest youth-serving NGOs, JA Worldwide activates youth for the future of jobs. Through the delivery of hands-on, blended learning in financial literacy, work readiness, and entrepreneurship, we empower young people to grow their entrepreneurial ideas, hone their work skills, manage their earnings and investments, and secure better lives for themselves, their families, and their communities.

With more than 100 member countries, the JA Worldwide network is powered by over 470,000 volunteers and mentors, who serve more than 10 million young people around the world each year.

While, the Citi Foundation works to promote economic progress and improve the lives of people in low-income communities around the world.

African Eye Report

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