For a young student growing up without the financial means to remain in school, a scholarship can mean more than school fees. It can mean hope. For a woman running a small business, access to finance can be the difference between surviving and creating jobs. And, for a community without reliable water, investment in infrastructure can transform health, livelihoods, and everyday life.
These are the human stories at the heart of NCBA Group’s “Change the Story” sustainability strategy, a community-focused initiative supporting youth, women, SMEs, education, water access, environmental conservation and sports across Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda and beyond.
Giving Children a Chance to Stay in School
Education remains one of NCBA’s longest-running community investments. Since 2007, the bank has committed more than KES 100 million to scholarships for bright but disadvantaged learners, including orphans, children from destitute families, and those affected by hardship.
Through partnerships with organisations such as Palmhouse Foundation, Edumed Trust, SOS Children’s Villages Kenya, and Daraja Kenya Initiative, the programme provides tuition, books, uniforms and mentorship.
In recent years, annual allocations of about KES 11–12 million have supported between 100 and 181 learners. The impact extends beyond Kenya, with vulnerable children in Rwanda’s Musanze District receiving support for school fees and basic needs.
The ambition is also long-term: NCBA aims to reach 12,000 students with mentorship by 2030, helping young people develop into transformational leaders.
Turning Young Ideas into Opportunities
For thousands of young people, empowerment is also about being given the confidence and tools to build something of their own.
Through its nearly two-decade partnership with Junior Achievement Kenya, NCBA has supported the Social Innovation Relay and Innovation Challenge programmes, reaching more than 13,000 secondary and university students.
The programmes encourage entrepreneurship, financial literacy, and innovative solutions to social challenges.
The bank has also extended its support to young people in the creative economy through platforms such as ELEV8 Live and partnerships with HEVA Fund, providing talent development, visibility, and tailored financing.
Helping Women Build Businesses
For women entrepreneurs, access to capital can open doors that skills alone can not.
NCBA’s AFAWA Women Small and Medium Enterprises Acceleration Programme has committed up to USD 5 million in partnership with the African Guarantee Fund, the African Development Bank’s AFAWA initiative and the SME Support Centre.
Around 80 women-led agri-food businesses have benefited across two cohorts through financing, mentorship, coaching, and market linkages. One intake alone provided USD 3.5 million to 42 entrepreneurs.
The businesses span sectors including cereals, poultry, and coffee, creating jobs while strengthening local value chains. Water, Trees, and Healthier Communities: NCBA’s community story also reaches households and communities through water and environmental initiatives.
Through its partnership with Water.org, the bank offers WASH loans ranging from KES 300,000 to KES 500 million to water service providers and SMEs. The financing supports boreholes, solar-powered systems, infrastructure upgrades, and network expansion.
Meanwhile, NCBA aims to grow 10 million trees by 2030. More than 1.3 million had been planted by 2025 with partners, including the Kenya Forest Service, WWF Kenya, Karura Forest, Boreka Group, and community groups.
Sport as a Community Connector
Sport provides another avenue for opportunity and inclusion. NCBA’s Golf Series is helping young golfers turn talent into opportunity and business. With over KES 200 million invested, the programme has supported junior development through scholarships and international pathways. Among beneficiaries are Njoroge Kibugu, Edwin Mudanyi, Erick Ooko and Abraham Galgaro, whose golfing success and achievements showcase sport’s transformative potential.
NCBA Empowers Youth Through Creative Economy
NCBA is also empowering young creatives through its “Change the Story” agenda, partnering with producer Motif Di Don on the Elev8 LIVE platform to discover, mentor and showcase emerging music talent. Through collaboration with HEVA Fund, NCBA also provides tailored financial products, helping artists fund projects, generate income and build sustainable creative enterprises.
Through NCBA Elevate, more than 30 emerging musicians have received production support alongside practical lessons on contracts, publishing rights, royalties and split sheets, the agreements that determine how revenue from a song is shared among creators.
Together, these initiatives demonstrate a broader idea: that changing a community’s story can begin with something as simple as a scholarship, a business loan, access to water, a tree seedling or an opportunity to play.
