The Nation Media Group (NMG) has partnered with HACO Industries Ltd to provide 15 schools across the country with copies of newspapers in an effort to enhance a reading culture.
Each of the select schools will receive 20 copies of the Daily Nation and 30 copies weekly of Taifa Leo at the rate of Sh60,000 per year under NMG’s Newspaper in Education (NiE) programme, which has now run for over a decade now.
Besides the financial support, HACO Industries will promote waste reduction through its Green Learning Initiative (GLI) by providing bins for collecting broken rulers and pens that will at the end of each month be taken for recycling.
“One of our key pillars is influencing society by informing, educating, and entertaining, and this partnership will be crucial in advancing key content under the NiE programme,” said NMG chief executive officer, Geoffrey Odundo, on Monday during the signing of an MoU between the two companies in Nairobi.
The NiE programme seeks to improve literacy levels among learners in primary, junior and secondary schools and eventually turn around performance. It involves the use of newspapers in schools to improve literacy through the publication of educational content alongside news to create a reading culture among learners.
Under the deal, NMG will publish feature articles, student highlights and impact stories showcasing learners’ achievements and programme outcomes.
Mr Odundo noted that NMG’s focus goes far beyond building circulation but also on building audiences through content around education, thus improving society.
Once every month, the NiE programme runs essay competitions in four categories— Primary English, Primary Kiswahili, Secondary English, and Secondary Kiswahili — giving learners a platform to sharpen their writing skills, engage with social issues, and apply classroom learning in a practical and creative way.
Regional winners receive cash prizes (in the form of school fees), while the top ten overall winners are recognised through publication of their names in the newspaper, celebrating their outstanding work and boosting their morale.
“We are very proud that you have us on board as partners to see how we can continue enriching the NiE programme with our support as we continue to evolve and grow,” said HACO Industries chief executive officer, Mary-Ann Musangi.
Under the deal, HACO Industries will also offer mentorship and capacity building session for learners and teachers on sustainability leadership and career pathways.
For winners under the NiE programme, HACO Industries has committed, through the CK Foundation, to offer scholarships to needy learners to enable them to proceed to their desired schools. The Foundation was started about a year ago in honour of the late businessman and industrialist Dr Chris Kirubi.
Aside from the monthly essays, the NiE programme conducts school activation drives, featuring visits by teams from the NMG Editorial Desk and NTV Jioni , aimed at sensitising schools on the importance of reading, writing, and comprehension skills.
The activations also feature fun games where the NMG teams visits schools during the second term to motivate the learners ahead of the national examinations later in the year.
