National Bank of Kenya (NBK) has launched its flagship education enablement program Elimu Konnect and has committed Kshs. 2B towards the support of the education ecosystems within both Primary and Secondary schools. The program is a partnership with Kenya Private Schools Association (KPSA) and UNIFIED Alternative Providers for Basic Education and Training (APBET) Schools Association-Kenya.
The collaboration entails financing to support key components of quality education including quality and sufficient infrastructure development, sustainability in energy & water, ICT infrastructure & learning programs, working capital, and Asset financing. National Bank will finance projects to member schools at a rate of 11% in a bid to support them achieve quality and excellence in learning for both Primary and Secondary schools.
Elimu Konnect creates a collaboration between different partners in the education sector including Kodris Africa for a Coding for Schools platform. Notably Kodris Africa will provide a 20% discount to the schools funded through the NBK– Private Schools partnership.
The bank will also provide financing for energy & water needs through its MajiKonnect program by supporting the drilling of boreholes and ensuring solarization for energy including Solar Panels for lighting, water heating and powering E-learning gadgets. This will reduce overheads related to power, and support digitization programs while still promoting sustainability on climate.
Mr. Peter Kioko, the Acting Managing Director at NBK noted that the bank understands the challenges encountered in the education sector and therefore the need to create a tailored offering that contributes to Sustainability Development Goal 4 by ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all in Kenya and the World at large.
“The NBK Elimu Konnect program seeks to address the challenges in the enablement of the Education sector in Kenya with a view to capacity building, financial enablement, technology improvement, innovation and excellence in learning. We are, therefore through this and other partnerships under the Elimu Konnect proposition, looking forward to supporting the education ecosystem as a financial partner to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.
NBK will also facilitate the digitization of school technologies and the development of ICT infrastructure. NBK has developed an online Platform (NatShule), to manage the schools’ administration and reconciliation functions digitally via a secure 360-degree view that cuts across day-to-day school operations. The Platform links all school functions via integrated mobile, internet and SMS capabilities and services.
Additionally, NBK will work with partners to provide discounted working capital financing options to schools to support the purchase of school buses, Vans, laboratory equipment, land and other assets that support the objectives of the school.