Date Published: December, 2024

In late 2021, JCM together with the community surrounding our Salima Project, identified several activities that were needed to improve education access, retention, equity, and quality for children. JCM, in collaboration with the CSR Committee, has since provided opportunities for learners to apply for bursaries from the company to support their schooling including tuition fees, examination fees, school uniforms, student allowance and other scholastic materials. We also provide sanitary pads for female students. The overall objective of the education support is to enhance academic progress, social skills, character development and practical life skills of children by:

• Increasing retention of youth in existing schools and educational programs.
• Increasing equitable participation in education by girls and boys, vulnerable and disadvantaged children.
• Strengthening parental and student commitment to education.

Since 2022, JCM has provided 39 students with bursaries, of which 21 are female. Many students in our project regions are prevented from proceeding to secondary school from primary school, despite qualifying and being selected to secondary schools, for financial reasons. The school bursary scheme has helped to mitigate this by providing access to financial support, enabling the students to proceed to secondary school. The students learn with less disturbance as they are not turned away from schools as a result of non-payment of tuition fees.