Kush Bank Partners with Jama Juba for the Youth's Financial Inclusion

In September 2022, Kush Bank entered into a partnership with the University of Juba to provide financial services to enhance efficiency in operations and convenient banking services for students at the university.

With this partnership geared at greater financial inclusivity for the youth in South Sudan, Kush Bank will have an operational counter at the University for fee payments, savings, and withdrawals.

For a long time, students have faced the inconvenience of accessing their bank accounts and fee payment options on weekends or when they do not have class sessions. With most banks outside the campus, the inconvenience left many students with late payments for their school fees and missed classes as they sought to access their accounts.

With Kush Bank's partnership being realized, the Juba campus will host the Kush Bank outlet, and the financial services will be supported by the Bank's internet and mobile banking services for simple transactions such as transfers within Kush Bank accounts, purchase of electricity tokens, checking account status, among others.

At Kush Bank, we also recognize that our future and success as a national bank will only be sustainable if the youth are part of our activities. To this end, the bank is exploring options for internship programs and setting up and conducting capacity-building initiatives for a student placement office to help students with career decisions and internship placements. Other proposed areas for the partnership include full scholarships to qualifying vulnerable students, financial and in-kind support to student-led community service engagements, and organizing seminars and conferences to train both the staff and the students on work culture, financial literacy (personal finance, basic knowledge of bookkeeping), career mapping, soft skills, business management, leadership skills, banking and its necessity in the 21st century, investment and financial management.

According to the Ag. CEO Ryan O'Grady, "Kush Bank does not limit itself to financial services. As a corporate citizen, we are working to enhance student capacity because the skillset with which they graduate must be ideal for the corporate world. They are the workforce that will build upon the current efforts of developing South Sudan. Financially empowered and educated youth are also the true ambassadors of empowerment. They will be trusted to make sound economic decisions at both personal and community levels."?