NAIROBI, Kenya, Sep 17 – Restaurant chain Java House has launched an initiative to empower children as it marks its 25th anniversary.
Dubbed ‘Kuza Mentorship Programme’, the program will equip young ones with soft skills, elevating their future success, foster academic and career goals, and provide a platform for career, leadership, and talent development.
Java House CEO Priscilla Gathungu emphasized the need for greater investment in community initiatives, particularly those focused on supporting children’s growth and development.
“We see this mentorship programme as an opportunity to deepen our engagement with the community and help our children expand their horizons,” Gathungu said.
“Over the last couple of years we have worked with various partners to provide school lunches to over 2500 children including Gatina,” she added.
“Over this period we have observed increased concentration and performance in the children and we see this as the next step to better prepare our children in the schools we support, for success in life.”
The Kuza Mentorship Programme will involve a series of Kuza Talk Sessions featuring Java staff, professionals, and partners with various backgrounds and skill sets.
It also includes a student leadership programme and talent development workshops with volunteer mentors.
The initiative was launched at the Gatina Primary School in Dagoretti North, Nairobi, and brought together various stakeholders, including Food 4 Education, Malkia Strikers, and Wafalme Stars.
Through the Java Foundation, Java House supports farmers, supporting local artists, and feeding school-children in partnership with Food For Education.
“Last quarter as a school we qualified and participated in the regional games but did not perform as we would have liked due to lack of equipment and coaching but with the support of our volunteers I am sure we will do better in the next round,” said Margaret Wanjiru, Headmistress Gatina Primary School.
Founded in 1999 with the aim of introducing a gourmet coffee drinking experience to Kenya, Java House has grown to become one of the leading casual American diner-style restaurant brands in East Africa.
Java has 93 outlets in 14 cities across 3 countries in East Africa, providing casual dining experiences to a growing customer base.
Java House has birthed three sister brands: Planet Yoghurt, a healthy and tasty frozen yogurt store; 360 Degrees Pizza, a unique homage to the old Vera Pizza Napolitano traditions infused with a contemporary take on artisanal pizza; and Kukito, a healthy and affordable QSR option, catering to the exciting East African consumers.
