NATIONAL BUSINESS COMPACT ON COVID-19 SUPPORTS THE YOUTH

The National Business Compact on Covid-19, (NBCC) has partnered with the Shujaaz Inc in an effort to reduce the spread of the pandemic in the country. The coalition ( through its members’)   has donated twenty thousand usable facemask and over five hundred washing stations. This donation will be distributed to the youth and businesses through the Shujaaz youth network. The contribution was made in a bid to ensure the fight against the spread of the deadly coronavirus is undertaken from the grass-root level. 

The team of young people has recruited super fans in different areas within the country who work as volunteers. They will help with distribution of the facilities and personal protective equipment to the youth. Shujaaz is one of the leading youth digital networks in Kenya, harnessing its short message service (SMS), unstructured supplementary service data (USSD) and social media channels to reach more than 7.5 million young people.

“Youth are the real agents of change and the trend setters. We know that working with them is crucial to adopt the preventative measures on hygiene as this is the new normal. Shujaaz is perfectly positioned to do this given the trust they have created with this audience. NBCC is excited to partner with them,” said Myriam Sidibe, the NBCC chair and co-founder.

 She added that Covid-19 has dealt a huge blow to our economy and many families are going through tough economic times.  Her coalition has therefore realized that there is need to mobilize more support and compliment the government’s efforts in fighting the pandemic.

NBCC has been focusing on promoting and educating Kenyans in applying good health practices through initiatives such as hand washing and sanitizing to ensure that the public is safe throughout the pandemic. The coalition in partnership with the government has scaled hand washing stations in hotspots within the country.   Two thousand stations have been set up in Nairobi, Central and Coast regions. It has also donated over thirty thousand bars of soap to reach at least six thousand families through the Food for Education organization.