touching young lives and building brighter futures

Melissa Tang “Through the program, I got not only my first savings account but also had my first experience with financial responsibility," said Melissa Tang a participant in Juma Ventures' Individual Development Account (IDA) program. Melissa first got involved with Juma when she was 17 as a barista in the organization's ball park business—one of the social enterprises it owns and operates. Melissa also joined Juma's IDA program to save for college. She eventually worked her way up to assistant manager at the ball park, which helped her to save more money for her education. Thanks to the $2,670 Melissa was able to save and the $6,000 in matching funds she received through her IDA, she is now pursuing her interests in environmental studies and geography at UCSB.

Melissa is just one of the many young people Juma touches in the Bay Area. Juma supports youth from San Francisco’s lowest-income neighborhoods in gaining the work experience, exposure to opportunities, and preparation they need to position themselves for post-secondary education and career-oriented employment. Through an integrated program model consisting of work and complementary youth development services—including financial literacy and college exploration— Juma helps youth develop action plans for their futures, breaking the cycle of poverty they've grown up in and around.