Google Announces Sh325 Million Covid-19 Economic Recovery Grant for Kenya

Kenya is set to benefit from a Covid-19 recovery program by technology giant, Google.

The initiative seeks to boost economic recovery in sub-Saharan Africa in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic which has taken a toll on the economy leading to the loss of millions of jobs.

Country Director for Google Kenya and East Africa Agnes Gathaiya said the company will inject Sh325 million into the country’s economy in form of grants to support education, women empowerment, and entrepreneurs.

“During this time, the ability to be online has been a lifeline to so many of us, whether you are a small business trying to stay afloat, a parent looking for updates on how to keep your family healthy, or a student trying to keep up with your studies,” said Gathaiya.

Further to this, Google has launched a digital hub to help businesses and individuals expand their digital skills. The hub is expected to help over 500,000 businesses go digital through the “Google My Business” platform.

Google also plans to offer training to one million people on how to take up new business opportunities online in 2021, according to Gathaiya.

“Being helpful during these times is at the core of Google’s mission to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful,” she added.