About

Mwikali's Gift is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded in 2005 to bring clean water to Usalama, a small village in Kenya. With its original mission accomplished, the charity is now working on other key projects to establish Usalama on the road to self sustainable development.

History

Mwikali’s Gift is a story of friendship between two close knit communities, one in downtown New York, the other a newly settled rural village in south east Kenya of 6,000 inhabitants called Usalama. In December 2004, parents at Washington Market School in New York City learned of the death of Mwikali, the sister of one of the school’s most adored and long standing teachers, Robert Malii. Mwikali died during childbirth, leaving behind a newborn son and five older children. Eager to show their support, a group of Washington Market parents asked Robert what they could do to help. Robert’s response was unexpected but simple; provide the village where Mwikali had lived with access to clean water - a basic human right in the Western world, but a luxury in so many developing nations. In memory of Robert’s sister, Mwikali’s Gift was born.

Since 2005, the charity’s ambitions and accomplishments have grown. In partnership with the people of Usalama, we are working hard to establish the village on the road to self sustainability. With the help of AMREF, a water pipeline to the village has been built, liberating the villagers from their daily trek to get water and protecting them from the myriad health risks of unclean water. For three successive years, we have provided free school uniforms to all children of primary school age, eliminating a substantial and mandatory cost that otherwise deters families from sending their children to school. With materials provided by Mwikali’s Gift, the villagers have undertaken a preliminary renovation of Usalama Primary School.

In partnership with Engineers Without Borders-NY, we are presently working on a multi-phase school expansion and community center project in Usalama, expected to be completed during 2008-09. The community center will provide a permanent meeting space for the villagers, as well as possibly housing a micro-enterprise project, generating sufficient revenue for the village to purchase its own school uniforms in future years. We are also embarking on a mosquito net and malaria education project.

Financial Accountability

Mwikali’s Gift takes seriously all of the money entrusted to us by our generous donors. We work hard to keep our costs to a minimum, ensuring that the maximum possible funding reaches the people of Usalama. Members of the charity’s board, advisory council and general counsel are all uncompensated. A modest 5% of our budget goes to fundraising and administrative costs.

IRS Form 990.pdf