This archive report was first published on 8 July 2020.
On July 8, 2020, Crown Paints Group CEO Rakesh Rao announced the formation of Team Kubwa Sacco, a savings and credit cooperative society (Sacco) for painters across East Africa.
The initiative aims to provide painters with an avenue for financial support and help them ease the economic burdens caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Crown Paints has a long history of supporting painters, having sponsored skills upgrading sessions across the region in the past.
According to Rakesh Rao, "Painters play a fundamental role in our business, and therefore we have seen the need to provide them an avenue for financial support and in addition help them ease the economic burdens that have been escalated by the coronavirus pandemic."
Painter and interior decorator Eva Wachiuri welcomed the initiative, stating that it will address the poor saving culture that has seen many painters lead miserable lives in their old age.
"Painting is a physically engaging activity where an individual’s productivity falls as one ages and it is therefore important that one saves now for the long-term, ensuring they have ample cash for their idle years," she said.
