Last week, Zoho, a technology company, announced its partnership with MOMO Pencils, a manufacturer of eco-friendly stationery in Nairobi, for the “Hope for Literacy” program. The program works towards eradicating inter-generational poverty in Kenya.
Under this program, Zoho will work with MOMO Pencils to provide access to quality education for children from underserved communities in the country. The partnership will also aim to spread awareness at schools about the importance of environmental sustainability and eco-conscious community development.”MOMO Pencils’ “Hope for Literacy” program strongly aligns with Zoho’s values.
“At Zoho, we have always believed in serving the local community, uplifting the underserved, and fostering development that is responsible and sustainable. Our growth approach—which we refer to as Transnational Localism—reflects the same values, wherein we grow with the local community by opening local offices, hiring talent locally, conducting upskilling initiatives, and working with regional bodies to empower local businesses with technology. In continuation of this commitment to supporting progress at grassroots level, we are looking forward to working with MOMO Pencils to make a lasting and positive impact on society and the environment,” said Veerakumar Natarajan, Country Head, Zoho Kenya.
“In Kenya, where millions of children face barriers to quality education due to poverty, the “Hope for Literacy” program was established to bridge the literacy gap by supporting the education of 1 million school-going children from marginalized families. We’re delighted to have Zoho join us as one of our partners in this journey of transforming Kenyan families, schools, and communities,” said Mahamud Omari, CEO, MOMO Pencils.
As part of this alliance, Zoho hosted around 25 students from Creative Minds, a primary school in Athi River at its Nairobi, office, as part of the MoU signing on February 14. The students got introduced to the future of work and the various career opportunities available in the STEM fields. Additionally, to drive environmental awareness among students, Zoho and MOMO Pencils will jointly donate 25,000 wood-free pencils across 10 schools in Kenya and plant 1000 tree saplings in those schools throughout this year.
This is a timely exercise given the heatwave being experienced in the region today. Zoho will also provide life skills mentorship support to students on these school visits. This started with the Creative Minds school on February 16, 2024.
