The partnership with Cup of Uji Kenya supports local NGOs with the funds with an aim to purchase and distribute 500,000 meals comprising rice and beans across local schools
NAIROBI, Kenya, November 16, 2020/ — Cigna Foundation (https://bit.ly/3nFCpnJ) has partnered with Cup of Uji Kenya, a school feeding program founded by Hope Alive Campaign, a community based organization, to reduce food insecurity among primary school children in Kenya. In line with the partnership, the Cigna Foundation has contributed US$200,000 to fund nutritious meals for children and nurture their health and well-being.
The contribution is supported by Cigna’s Healthier Kids for Our Future®, a five-year global initiative launched in 2019 to improve the health and well-being of children – and to help build healthier, more vibrant communities for the next generation. Healthier Kids for Our Future is aligned with three of the 17 leading global objectives identified by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals: No Poverty, Zero Hunger, and Good Health and Well-Being.
The partnership with Cup of Uji Kenya supports local NGOs with the funds with an aim to purchase and distribute 500,000 meals comprising rice and beans across local schools. Through this initiative, Cigna Foundation will empower local NGOs, who understand the requirements of schools, with resources to fulfil the needs of the community. The humanitarian project is set to incentivize primary school children in Kenya to attend school.
Speaking on Cigna Foundation’s efforts to combat global hunger, Jerome Droesch, CEO of Cigna in Middle East, Africa and South East Asia, said: “It is disturbing to witness this growing challenge of global hunger and to do nothing about it. If not addressed, we will see 840 million people facing hunger by 2030, as per the predictions of the World Food Programme. Children who go hungry are likely to suffer from severe nutritional issues that can impact both their long-term physical and mental health.”
He added: “In our efforts to offer hope for a healthier life to the children of Kenya, we are committed to this partnership with the Cup of Uji Kenya for the long haul. This effort has enabled Cigna and its employees to actively contribute towards the purchase, packaging and distribution of meals on ground. It was a deeply moving experience for Cigna’s employees to work alongside the Cup of Uji Kenya team to make this initiative come alive.”
Cup of Uji Kenya is a school feeding program founded by the Hope Alive Campaign that seeks to tackle food insecurity by providing meals to over 3,000 less fortunate school children in primary schools in Kenya. The program addresses the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals of No Poverty, Zero Hunger and Good Health and Well-Being through fighting hunger, driving education and eliminating poverty in the long term.
![Canon (www.Canon-CNA.com) today announces the Colorado XL-series, a new platform of 3.4m printers that extends the proven advantages of Canon's UVgel technology to the 3.2m graphics market. Available in hybrid and roll-to-roll configurations, the modular, field upgradable platform powered by UVgel technology delivers great versatility and exceptional productivity for both flexible and rigid media applications from signage and décor to point of sale and packaging. The Colorado XL-series comprises two easy-to-operate models: the Colorado XL7 roll-to-roll printer and Colorado XL7 hybrid printer. The new series brings the benefits of UVgel to a new market segment with exceptional application versatility across a comprehensive range of media – from banner, paper, vinyl and films to soft signage, heat-sensitive materials, foam board, fluted polypropylene, acrylic, aluminium composite boards and cardboard – providing the flexibility to tackle diverse customer requirements. With print speeds of 70m² per hour in quality mode, 106m² per hour in production mode and up to 211m² per hour in express mode, the system delivers the productivity needed for demanding production environments while accommodating substrates up to 52mm/2 inches thick for rigid applications. The new platform includes multiple technology innovations, such as the UVgel 860 ink set, which has been optimised to cover a wide variety of both rigid and flexible applications. It also provides the proven benefits of UVgel: odourless and instant-dry prints, high mechanical and chemical robustness, dimensional stability due to low-temperature curing, excellent colour consistency, TPO [1] - and VCL [2] -free, and matte and gloss finish without the need of a separate varnish. The Colorado XL-series also incorporates new UVgel 850 PrintHeads. Each printhead has 4,544 nozzles and features automated built-in nozzle performance monitoring and compensation. A single printhead supports two colours simultaneously, so that only two printheads are required to print CMYK, plus an optional third if white is configured. Additionally, the Colorado XL-series has an agile and precise printhead carriage that features UVgel DynamicMotion Control to ensure exceptional print quality even with challenging media. Taking the UV LED curing process to the next level, the Colorado XL-series introduces UVgel FullBeam Curing. This technology uses a unique 3.4-metre-wide LED curing array that, combined with an ingenious mirror system, delivers consistent UV light dosing across the entire print width, guaranteeing exceptional print uniformity over large surfaces and enabling a wider colour gamut. Media handling is optimised by the new UVgel TRIdrive vacuum belt system, which features three interactive rollers and multiple powerful vacuum zones that reduce wrinkling and skewing by automatically detecting and correcting the media positioning. This results in highly repeatable media transport through the printer, ensuring accurate positioning both longitudinally and laterally and enabling razor-sharp applications. Optional features for the Colorado XL-series, which are already available on the highly successful and modular Colorado M-series, include: UVgel White for hassle-free white printing, FLXfinish+ for creative effects using matte or gloss or mixed matte and gloss on the same print without additional varnish, and FLXture for textured finishes that mimic materials like leather, wood or fabric. Mathew Faulkner, Director, Marketing & Innovation, Wide Format Printing Group, Canon EMEA, comments: "For the past decade, Canon has been at the forefront of the inkjet evolution in large format, with market-leading technologies including the Colorado roll-to-roll printer series powered by UVgel technology and the Arizona flatbed printers. Large format print providers are looking for systems that deliver high productivity, versatile applications and reliable quality while addressing the challenge of finding skilled operators – which is why Canon is launching our new, breakthrough Colorado XL-series, an addition to our portfolio that will set a new standard in productivity and versatility. “This innovative solution brings the proven advantages of our unique UVgel technology to the 3.2m market for the first time, combining it with extensive automation and a modular design that will enable customers to extend their application possibilities into markets such as packaging and décor. Print service providers already producing high-value signage and graphics can now leverage UVgel's distinctive finishes, including mixed gloss and matte effects and textured printing, at scale to stand out in these new markets. And with its hybrid capabilities, users can print both roll-to-roll and rigid applications on the same device, using the same ink, the same colour profiles and the same unique features and finishes. For brands, for example, this translates to seamless campaigns that span the full spectrum of applications, ensuring perfect consistency across campaign assets whether they're roll-fed graphics, rigid signage, packaging, or décor elements. This is particularly valuable when these different applications appear side by side in-store, where maintaining that consistent quality and finish elevates the entire brand experience that today's brands demand." The Colorado XL-series will be available from the beginning of 2026 via Canon’s direct sales organisations as well as from accredited partners. For more information about the Colorado XL-series, please visit: https://apo-opa.co/3WltKtM](https://businessinsights.africa/wp-content/uploads/2025/10/canon_prograf-218x150.png "Canon expands large format graphics production portfolio with new 3.4m Colorado XL-series")
