BIC Donates One Million Writing Tools in Support of Kenyan Students
BIC, a world leader in stationery, recently announced its donation of one million writing tools to students across Kenya in the past three years.
The donation drive is a part of the company’s flagship Buy Me and BIC Will Donate a Pen campaign launched in 2020.
The campaign’s main objective is to provide school students with the necessary writing tools in the classroom and stems from BIC’s commitment to improving learning conditions for 250 million students by the year 2025. The announcement was made at an event at Magoso Primary School, in Kibra.
Over the past three years, BIC has partnered with renowned not-for-profit organizations in Kenya to run the campaign. This year, in partnership with CFK Africa, BIC distributed more than 300,000 writing tools to over 150,000 students in eight counties across the country, including Machakos, Kajiado, Nakuru, Mombasa, Kilifi, Kiambu and Kisumu.
Commenting on the occasion, BIC East Africa Marketing Manager, Salome Ngugi, said: “We are proud of the milestone we have achieved today. Lack of resources is one of the major reasons for school dropouts and student demotivation.
Through our product portfolio, we are able to help fill a gap in the education space, with the aim of elevating learning conditions for students – a fundamental element to their growth and development. Our Buy Me and BIC Will Donate a Pen campaign has allowed us to donate one pen for every stationery item sold in the country. We are proud of the impact that this has had on students to date and look forward to more to come.” Joshua Omweno, Project Officer, Education, CFK Africa said: “We are delighted to be working with private companies such as BIC who share our vision to keep children in school. Writing tools are a crucial element of student’s learning experience and their ability to actively engage in the classroom.”
Daniel Ochieng, Head Teacher at Mogoso Primary School, thanked BIC for the donation of writing tools and explained: “Writing tools are crucial in the learning experience but are often underrated. For parents, the main focus is on the safety and nutrition of their children during the school day, while teachers often primarily focus on content and curriculum. We are grateful to partner with like-minded organizations like BIC that help us fill an important gap in a student’s learning experience.” Expressing excitement about his BIC stationery, class eight student at Magoso Primary School, Evans Otieno, said:” People don’t understand how important writing tools are for us. Students how have a talent can use pens to draw, while those who love to write can use them to jot down their emotions or write poems to express themselves. Students who can’t afford to purchase stationery will now also feel adequate and equal.”
In 2022, BIC East Africa partnered with Save the Children to donate school supplies to more than 290 thousand students. BIC is committed to education and to supporting the communities in which it operates in. The Buy Me and BIC Will Donate a Pen campaign is one of the many education-driven initiatives run by the company. In 2022, BIC launched the first roundtable on education, EduTalk, where private and public sector representatives came together to discuss challenges and opportunities of the education sector in Kenya.
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