This is how we do it

This policy plan describes the activities that the Mwanzo Foundation will carry out between 2023 and 2026 to realise its mission. 

Our vision is that every child has the right to grow up in a safe and secure environment, preferably with their own parents or family. This seems obvious, but for many children this is not the case. This is also true for the children at The Ark Children's Home in Ngoliba, Kenya. This orphanage lovingly cares for children who no longer have parents or who, for whatever reason, cannot live at home. The police often bring children who are living on the streets or who have been removed from their homes due to abuse to The Ark. No matter how good the care and love for the children is, growing up in a family, preferably with their own parents or close family, is still the best option. The Kenyan government and the staff at The Ark recognise this too. However, in addition to social problems, there are often financial problems that stand in the way of reintegration.

Our mission is: The Mwanzo Foundation is committed to The Ark Children's Home in Ngoliba, Kenya. We do this by:

1. Recruiting donors to cover the monthly costs of The Ark, which amount to approximately 3,000 euros;

2. Recruiting sponsors who want to contribute to a one-off project with a donation, such as helping a teenager or single mother start their own business, so that they can provide for themselves and also care for their children or siblings;

3. Looking for donors who want to contribute to the costs of Mwanzo. This way, we ensure that all donations for The Ark go entirely to The Ark!

4. Building a local and international network of entrepreneurs who want to help, for example by offering internships or unskilled work;

5. Developing programmes to help the children build resilience, particularly in processing traumas they experienced in their early childhood;

6. Whatever else is appropriate. In this way, The Ark helps children who were living on the streets to return to their families and communities, and we help The Ark in this endeavour.

• - Our ambition is to find enough sponsors between 2023 and 2026 who are willing to jointly cover The Ark's monthly operating costs.

  - In addition, our goal is to renovate The Ark's kitchen so that it can be used in a safe and healthy manner. [Update: This was achieved in 2024!]

  - Five projects to help someone get their life back on track and (partly) take care of their children again.

The Mwanzo Foundation naturally needs money for this. We are looking for sponsors and donors. Donors donate an amount of their choice to contribute to the costs of the Mwanzo Foundation or to The Ark. Donations are tax-deductible, provided that the Mwanzo Foundation obtains ANBI status. Sponsors provide financial support for a specific project, such as the kitchen or a small business for a parent, family member or young person from The Ark.

 Gifts and donations are received via the foundation's bank account and as soon as the funding for a project is complete (the full amount has been pledged and received), it will be transferred to The Ark.

The Mwanzo Foundation works exclusively with volunteers. No one is paid for their services. This policy, as well as the financial overview and results, are published on our website. The Mwanzo Foundation also takes care of all the financial resources needed to support The Ark, such as transaction costs, website costs, notary fees, travel and accommodation costs, etc. This means that every pound you donate actually goes to The Ark!

In order to realise our vision and mission, we will carry out the following activities:

1. Actively recruiting sponsors and donors Through the website, LinkedIn, social media and our own network, we will continuously draw attention to the foundation and the projects to be sponsored. We will also submit targeted requests to equity funds for contributions to the projects;
2. assessing project applications Each project is submitted in an agreed format. The board assesses each application for completeness and realism;
3. maintaining the website The Mwanzo Foundation website lists all current projects and charities, the status of pledged sponsorship and stories about successful projects and any lessons learned;
4. annual visit to The Ark and project participants to monitor the agreements in the business plan made by the participant The board of the Mwanzo Foundation visits The Ark and the ongoing projects annually to monitor their implementation. Board members receive only travel expenses for this, which are paid from donations specifically donated for the costs of Mwanzo.