KUWAIT: Zain, the leading digital service provider in Kuwait, participated in recognizing the winners of the KON Social Entrepreneurship Program during the virtual ceremony held online to commemorate the conclusion of the program's first phase. Zain's participation came as part of the company's Gold sponsorship of the program and its extended strategic partnership with LOYAC, a non-profit organization that aims at developing youth's talents and skills.

Zain's Gold sponsorship of KON for the third year running came as part of its strategic partnership with LOYAC, which continues this year for over 16 consecutive years. The partnership comes in line with the company's corporate sustainability and social responsibility strategy, which centers around the development of the education and youth sectors, especially in regard to nurturing and developing entrepreneurial skills within the youth.

Commenting on the first phase's conclusion, Waleed Al-Khashti, Zain Kuwait's Chief Corporate Communications and Relations Officer, said: "With the closing of the first phase of the KON Social Entrepreneurship Program, we saw great passion within students to learn new entrepreneurship skills. They have exerted amazing efforts into developing their skills and make use of their time at home to invest in themselves."

Khashti explained: "The KON Social Entrepreneurship Program achieved great success in previous years, where our youth displayed great passion and ambition to develop their skills and enter the world of business via small enterprises. This is especially true as KON is brought to Kuwait in collaboration with Babson College in Boston, considered the most prestigious entrepreneurship college in the United States and the number one institution in the world for entrepreneurship education."

Khashti further added: "We did not allow the unusual circumstances imposed by the COVID-19 outbreak to stop us from further supporting the program, which came this year in a fully online form. This has reflected the pivotal role played by technology in empowering active communication between people and achieving productivity even in such unusual times."

Khashti continued: "We are proud to continue the strategic partnership between Zain and LOYAC for the sixteenth consecutive year. Today, LOYAC is considered one of the top national projects dedicated to empowering Kuwait's youth and progressing their skills with world-class programs, while offering them the appropriate environment to develop their talents within a social, educational, and fun setting. This perfectly goes in line with our strategy at Zain to achieve sustainability within the youth sector."

Khashti concluded: "I would like to thank LOYAC's young mentors who empowered the students to discover their potential and led them into success in spite of the current circumstances. We can't wait to see KON's newest success stories in the next phases."

This year, the KON Social Entrepreneurship Program witnessed the participation of 32 bright students aged 12-16 years, who formed seven different teams each with an innovative idea for a socially responsible and profitable business that tackles an issue within the local community.

Recently, Zain organized a virtual workshop for KON's participants, where Khalid Al Amiri, an entrepreneur and alumni of the Zain Great Idea tech startup accelerator program, took part in sharing great tips with the students on how to creatively preset their business ideas online through Zoom and record their presentations in preparation of presenting them to the judging panel.

Zain is proud to be one of the strategic partners of LOYAC since its inception, especially that it is considered one of the most prominent national programs that cater to the youth and offers them a healthy and empowering environment to develop their skills and talents in an educational, fun, and social atmosphere.

Zain believes in the development of the communities in which it operates, and it is a very important part of the company's overall success. The company considers education as a core element in the community development process, and it will continue to support it to contribute to the further progress of the country's youth.

Since its inception in 2002, LOYAC has grown to be the first choice of the youth in Kuwait when it comes to innovative and high-quality educational programs. LOYAC runs several programs for the youth to develop their professional skills, enhance their personal growth and to help them find their sense of purpose by extending themselves to others.