ZanaAfrica and the Project Management Institute–Kenya (PMI Kenya) have agreed to formalise a strategic partnership aimed at improving the lives of adolescents and youths.
The two organisations signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to equip young people with project management skills, health education and life skills that support healthy transitions through adolescence and contribute to educational, social and economic outcomes.
Under the MoU, the two organisations will jointly implement activities to strengthen project management knowledge and skills among their staff and among youths as a life skill, specifically targeting adolescents and teenage mothers.
They will also expand access to health and life skills education and sanitary resources, besides facilitating joint events to further promote project management, health and life skills.
Through the agreement, the organisations will share networks to promote peer learning among youths, particularly adolescents in and out of school.
ZanaAfrica Executive Director Beatrice Jane and PMI Kenya President Maureen Mbithi said cooperation is essential, noting that the agreement reflects a shared commitment to advancing strategic collaboration, innovation and the expansion of safe health and education networks within the ecosystem.
ZanaAfrica Chief Executive Officer Megan Mukuria and PMI Kenya president Maureen Mbithi sign the MoU documents/Robert Omollo“The partnership brings together two organisations with aligned visions and complementary strengths. By combining our expertise and resources, we are taking a significant step forward in Education, Health and Child protection,” Jane said.
Speaking after signing the agreement, Jane said the organisations will collaborate on grant and sponsorship opportunities for mutual benefit and jointly contribute towards the achievement of Sustainable Development Goals.
Present during the signing were ZanaAfrica Chief Executive Officer and Founder Megan Mukuria and Director of Social Impact Linda Machoka.
The three-year MoU outlines mutual commitments to professional standards, child protection, safeguarding and ethics, while leveraging shared expertise, networks and resources to maximise impact.
The programme will be implemented in Homa Bay, Kilifi, Kiambu, Nairobi and Meru counties.
Mukuria said the partnership comes at a strategic time as the organisation embarks on a journey to reach millions of direct participants over the next 10 years through its programmes.
According to Mukuria, the MoU aligns with ZanaAfrica’s mandate to reduce adolescent exposure to gender-based violence, teenage pregnancies and school dropouts by delivering practical health and life skills education.
“It’s not going to be about evangelising ZanaAfrica; it’s going to be about additionalities such as this partnership. We want to help an individual go from a young person all the way to a thriving adult,” Mukuria said.
Mbithi welcomed the partnership, saying it will create opportunities and make a meaningful impact in communities by advancing gender equity and child protection in Kenyan schools through their programmes.
She said PMI works with professionals from various fields, including business and entrepreneurship, whose expertise can be transferred to teenage mothers to enable them to provide for their children and return to school to complete their studies.
“The partnership is aligned to our association’s mission, vision and goals. We intend to promote and advance the profession and science of project management as a national competence and a valuable profession in Kenya,” Mbithi said.
