By Muchira Gachenge
The Kenya Red Cross is set to receive a boost from the CMA CGM Foundation to expand the reception capacity of the I.O.Me001 Social Innovation Centre in the country’s Mombasa City.
The announcement was made during the Africa Forward Summit held in Nairobi on May 11 and 12, 2026.
The Foundation’s President Tanya Saadé Zeenny told The Nairobi Express in a statement that they were partnering with the Kenyan Red Cross in a bid to empower “young entrepreneurs in Mombasa” and to strengthen humanitarian aid for vulnerable communities.
He said efforts to support the I.O.Me001 Social Innovation Centre are also meant to further develop training programs in entrepreneurship and coding.
The innovation center, which acts as a specialized hub for youth and women to develop skills, build businesses, and create local solutions, was launched in September 2023 in Mombasa, Kenya. It is also supported by the French Embassy.
The I.O.Me001 innovation center in Mombasa, a true hub for learning and innovation, has brought together 15 institutions and more than 1,200 students last year. In partnership with the French Embassy in Kenya, the CMA CGM Foundation is providing 7 additional containers to strengthen the center’s capacity.
The Foundation, which at its core supports humanitarian aid and education, also revealed plans to complete renovation of the country’s leading institution, the University of Nairobi’s main football field in a move projected to benefit over 50,000 students.
The project being undertaken with he University of Nairobi and the French Development Agency (AFD) is set to enable the creation of a modern, sustainable football field adapted to climate-related challenges, particularly those from the five faculties located on the university’s main campus.