More than 960 inmates at the Naivasha Maximum Prison have graduated from a 12-week financial literacy training programme organised by Equity Bank.
The free of charge training project dubbed Financial Knowledge for Africa provides business management skills to willing organised groups and individuals.
Through the project valued at Sh 1 billion, Equity Group Foundation in partnership with the MasterCard Foundation will train more than one million Kenyans, particularly the youth and women in the next three years. The graduating class at Naivasha is the second with a certification in financial literacy after mid last year’s graduation of 300 inmates at the Garissa Provincial GK Prison.
Basic skills
The graduating class had 963 inmates who are about to complete their jail terms. They have now been armed with basic financial management and related entrepreneurial skills to boost their rehabilitation.
Speaking during the graduation ceremony, Deputy Prisons Commissioner John Nkiria welcomed the partnership between Equity Group Foundation and the Kenya Prisons Service which he described as a new frontier in facilitating the integration of former prisoners’ within the society after their jail terms.
The Rift Valley Prisons boss noted that the financial literacy course will come in handy in helping the inmates to establish viable business ventures upon their release and reintegration in society.
"The historical graduation of these inmates will help build their capacity in financial management given that the Kenya Prisons service has invested heavily in training them in a range of income generating programmes such as carpentry, tailoring and masonry," Nkiria said.
And added: "The training has also brought to the fore the magnitude of financial illiteracy and the need for provision of such services even amongst the prison officers."
Equity Group Foundation Chairman James Mwangi, who was represented at the function by Equity Bank Group Customer Service and Human Resources Director Gerald Warui, explained that the programmes are strategically geared at setting the foundation for financial access and inclusion.
"This programme is aimed at ensuring that the community appreciates the dynamics of finances," said Mwangi.
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