The Kenya Red Cross Society (KRCS) and Equity Bank Kenya have entered into a strategic partnership to enhance response to humanitarian emergencies.
The collaboration is keen on strengthening humanitarian support and sustainably promoting the wellbeing, financial literacy, health and resilience of communities across Kenya.
Speaking during the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), KRCS Secretary General Dr. Ahmed Idris said the collaboration seeks to leverage the respective strengths of both institutions to enhance community preparedness and response to humanitarian emergencies.
Dr. Idris noted that the partnership will enable both organizations to work closely in designing and implementing innovative, community-driven programmes that alleviate human suffering and support long-term development.
“It is also an opportunity to co-create sustainable solutions with Equity Bank Kenya to support families affected by disasters, restore livelihoods and help communities find long-term pathways to resilience.
Together, we hope to enhance access to financial literacy, economic empowerment, and dignified recovery for vulnerable households,” said Idris.
Equity Bank Kenya Managing Director Moses Nyabanda welcomed the collaboration, emphasizing Equity’s commitment to strengthening community resilience through impactful partnerships.
“This partnership allows us to blend the Red Cross’ deep expertise in humanitarian response with Equity’s strength in financial inclusion.
We are keen to learn from KRCS on how best to support communities during crises, while complementing their efforts through the Equity Group Foundation’s pillars in social protection, access to finance, and livelihood restoration. Our goal is to ensure that vulnerable families not only recover from shocks but are equipped to thrive,” said Nyabanda.
He added that Equity sees the partnership as an opportunity to enhance social protection initiatives through provision of insurance solutions and to scale community support mechanisms by leveraging the bank’s financial infrastructure and outreach networks.
Under the partnership, the two organizations agreed to collaborate in several key areas aligned with their mandates, policies, and operational frameworks.
Nyabanda said the key areas include financial literacy, through the training of women and youth groups on basic budgeting, prudent borrowing, effective saving and investment.
This will also include entrepreneurship and digital literacy training for vulnerable groups and provision of loans and other financial services to trained groups.
Dr. Idriss said the partnership will also enhance the delivery of cash transfers and other forms of cash and voucher assistance, with Equity serving as a financial service provider to facilitate some of the disbursement of aid through mobile money, bank accounts and other appropriate channels.
In food security, the two institutions will promote smart and modernized agricultural practices, train communities in improved farming methods, and help farmers access reliable markets for their produce.
In the health sector, the collaboration will involve working with Equity Afya medical centresto expand access to medical services, supporting joint efforts to digitize health data and ensuring the provision of healthcare during emergencies.
The partnership will also extend to education, where the Red Cross will assist deserving students in some of the communities they serve in applying for scholarships, while Equity scholars will be linked to the Red Cross Youth Programme for community service, life skills development, mentorship, and career guidance.
Equity will further provide general banking services to support various community initiatives. In environmental management and conservation, the partnership will champion tree-planting efforts and support communities through training and access to clean-energy technologies, contributing to sustainable ecosystem restoration and climate resilience.