About Kikwetu Foundation
A home for transformation, built by young people, for young people
From a single cyber café in Dandora to a pan-African network of 150+ members, this is our story.
Our Story
How Kikwetu Foundation began
Kikwetu Foundation's journey began in 2012 in a small cyber café in Nairobi's Dandora area, owned by our founder and Chairman, Kendy Mbugua. What started as a place to train recent secondary-school leavers in computer literacy grew into something bigger: in that first year alone, the cyber café trained 16 youths who could not otherwise afford ICT courses.
That early success convinced Kendy Mbugua to build a permanent home for transformation. Together with a group of like-minded young people determined to advance African culture as a pathway to economic opportunity, he founded Kikwetu Foundation.
In 2014, Kikwetu Foundation was officially registered by the NGO Coordination Board of Kenya, marking the formal start of our journey. Today, the Foundation is registered under the Public Benefits Regulatory Authority (PBORA) and counts around 150 members across Africa and Europe, most of them active in pan-African, cross-sector work.
Our Vision
To be the leading transformative organization in Africa.
Our Mission
To create opportunities, equip young people with skills, and transform African youth in general.
Our Values
What guides every program we run
Commitment to Service
We show up for the communities we serve, consistently and reliably.
Integrity
We do what we say we will do, and we do it honestly.
Transparency
We are open about how we operate and how resources are used.
Accountability
We hold ourselves responsible to our beneficiaries and our partners.
Innovation
We look for new, more effective ways to create opportunity.
Inclusivity
We design programs that welcome youth across backgrounds and circumstances.
Our Approach
How we create transformation
We invest in a distinct way of doing things, guided by our core purpose: to transform. We create opportunities for young Africans to be part of our growth story by equipping them with the tools they need for economic growth, life skills, and education.
We pursue that transformation through several channels, but our most impactful stories consistently trace back to our base station, the grassroots, community-level work that puts us in direct contact with the youth we serve. To date, Kikwetu Foundation has reached over 10,000 beneficiaries, directly and indirectly.
Mentorship
A major societal challenge is the lack of mentorship opportunities and role models for young people. Kikwetu Foundation acts as a bridge between mentees and mentors, helping young professionals learn from the best in their field.
Youth Empowerment
Most Kenyan youth are disillusioned by a pervasive lack of employment and business opportunities. We provide opportunities and forums that let young people nurture their unique talents and capabilities toward economic empowerment.
Culture Development
Africa's rich cultural heritage is being slowly eroded in the modern era. We believe that culture can be a force for the betterment of society, and our programs promote and encourage these values.
Entrepreneurship & Innovation
Improving community economic standards sits at the heart of our work. We use entrepreneurship and innovation programming as a vehicle to drive economic opportunity for the youth we serve.
Ready to transform African youth together?
Whether you're a corporate partner, government agency, development organization, or an individual ready to volunteer, there's a place for you in Kikwetu Foundation's work.