KUWAIT: As part of its strong commitment to supporting and empowering the youth, the National Bank of Kuwait continues its support and sponsorship of the “Kon” Social Entrepreneurship Program under its ongoing strategic partnership with LOYAC non-profit organization. Organized by LOYAC in collaboration with the prestigious Babson College, the program kickstarted its tenth edition this year with a festive opening ceremony at the American University of Kuwait, which witnessed a remarkable turnout of program alumni, mentors, and new participants in this year’s edition, in addition to representatives from both NBK and LOYAC.
Kon is a five-week extensive program that encompasses educational activities, specialized training sessions, interactive discussions, online lectures, and virtual workshops all tailored to enhance and develop pioneering social programs in Kuwait. This year, 45 male and female students participated in the program between the ages of 12 and 16, and the opening day provided a unique opportunity for networking and exchanging experiences between different generations of social entrepreneurs.
The aim of this program is to instill in the student skills of leadership and innovation by developing projects that serve society and contribute to its prosperity. Moreover, participants get the opportunity to learn from distinguished leaders at NBK as well as experts from different participating companies and institutions, who provide their knowledge and counselling for the program’s competing projects.
As part of the program’s activities, Mohammed Al-Sarraf, Event Manager at NBK gave the students an orientation session which introduced them to concepts of social responsibility and highlighted NBK’s diverse initiatives and programs across different sectors, including healthcare, education, environment, and youth support.
Yaqoub Al-Baqer, Assistant Vice President of Public Relations and Event Management commented: “We are pleased with our collaboration with LOYAC that embodies our joint vision and belief in the significance of investing in Kuwait’s youth who, as we strongly believe, can make sustainable and positive change in society”.
Al-Baqer added: “This program is remarkably aligned with NBK’s vision that aims to support the youth and expand their knowledge, further enabling them to develop projects that serve their society and provide innovative solutions for environmental, medical, and educational challenges”.
Al-Baqer emphasized NBK’s strong commitment and dedication towards enabling Kuwait’s youth to become influential future leaders, as the bank diligently provides them with the necessary support and confidence to turn their ideas into purposeful projects. NBK is also very keen on constantly providing specialized training programs that invest in youth competencies and give them the opportunity to build promising futures.
The program successfully concluded its activities on August 7, after which students benefited from extensive training sessions presented by experienced social entrepreneurship experts, as well as specialized discussions and virtual workshops. At the end of the program, the students competed in a final evaluation of their projects by which the judging committee chose the best three projects as per innovation, excellence, and quality standards. Under its commitment to social responsibility, NBK is always keen on supporting all society segments as well as volunteering non-profit organizations that promote youth education in preparation for a better future.
