“It is said that if you give a man a fish, you feed him for a day; but if you teach a man to fish, he will feed himself for a lifetime. My goal is to give you a fishing rod and teach you how to fish so you can put food on your table.” This is Jonathan Jackson’s inspiration.
Jonathan Jackson Foundation
He is the founder of the Jonathan Jackson Foundation, which works across Kenya to elevate the lives of youth, women and differently abled persons (PWDs), particularly those not in employment, education or training (NEET), to create income-generating opportunities that transform the lives and enable them put food on the table.
After 30 years as founder and CEO of the successful property development venture Lordship Group, Jonathan Jackson desired to do more for others. He had a heart for the vulnerable and had explored different philanthropic opportunities across the world throughout his lifetime.
Born and raised in Kenya, he had seen first-hand how hard the plight of poverty plagued underserved communities. This made him uncomfortable.
In 2010, Jonathan returned back home (Kenya) to replicate the successful property development business he practised in Central and Eastern Europe. In the course of establishing his business in Kenya, he could not help but notice the baffling number of youth who lacked the ability to earn a decent living.
Jonathan was reminded of the walks he took as a teenager with his mother in Kibera, training women on weaving, beadwork and tailoring that provided dignified sources of income and improved livelihoods. These experiences influenced and now shape the work of the Foundation.
Jonathan decided to make the first move towards lasting transformation for youth. In early 2019, he founded the Jonathan Jackson Foundation (JJF) and acquired a community football club, the Nairobi City Stars (NCS).
Using sports, events and aid drives as tools for positive change and economic empowerment, Jonathan and a lean team ventured into the communities within the informal settlements and began mobilising youths for training, reform and rehabilitation.
Lordship Africa is a leading international real estate development and investment company based in Nairobi, Kenya. It is a subsidiary of the lordship group which was established more than 25 years ago in Central Europe.
The businessman has since developed Karen Hills, a 64-acre residential development, in Nairobi.
He is behind the 88 Nairobi Condominium Tower, a 44-storey residential skyscraper under construction in the Upper Hill.
“Our goal is to bring significant impact to communities in informal settlements by developing sustainable income generating initiatives,” he says.
Nairobi City Stars
Nairobi City Stars is managed and owned by the Jackson Foundation which he acquired at a time when the club was struggling.
Upon his acquisition, he pushed the club into greater heights, having been promoted into the Kenya Premier League (KPL) and has since maintained its status as one of the top clubs in the country.
The foundation also recruited players out of the Chapa Dimba tournament, a national football tournament for male and female youth aged between 16 and 20 years.
“There is so much talent in Kenya. If only it were harnessed when the players are still young- they could be superstars by now!”
Jackson told the media that the foundation aimed to help over 3,300 underprivileged youths from Nairobi’s informal settlements.
