Who We Are
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About Kenya
Children's Fund
Kenya Children’s Fund is a U.S.-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that funds and supports Kinyago-Dandora Schools (KDS) in Nairobi, Kenya, including both the primary and secondary schools. Through donor support, we provide hundreds of children each year with access to quality education, along with post-secondary opportunities through university sponsorships, equipping students to build brighter, more sustainable futures.
For families living in the Dandora slum, access to even basic necessities is often out of reach due to poverty, unstable home environments, and unemployment. Through KDS, students receive a holistic education that includes healthcare, clean water, and daily meals, all within a nurturing environment led by dedicated African educators who support their academic, personal, and spiritual growth.
Where We Serve
Dandora
Dandora is a densely populated community on the outskirts of Nairobi, Kenya, where many families live in extreme poverty. Dandora, mostly known for hosting Kenya’s largest dump, receives an estimated 2,000 tons of domestic and industrial waste daily. Each day, thousands of waste pickers sift through the unsorted trash, recovering materials like plastics, metals, textiles and food to feed their families. The dump incites hazards to the community such as toxic fumes causing respiratory issues, allergies and infections. Many workers suffer injuries, primarily cuts from glass and metal.
Most homes in Dandora are constructed from sticks, mud and corrugated metal and lack basic necessities such as windows, running water, electricity, and sanitation. Six to eight people often share a single room—about the size of an average American dining room. In most homes, there is only one bed, while children sleep on gunny sacks on the floor.
Families work tirelessly to survive, yet the average daily income for a head of household is often less than one dollar per day. With such limited resources, many struggle to provide nutritious food, healthcare, or school fees for their children. As a result, some children are forced to work long hours in difficult or dangerous conditions to help support their families.
The community also faces ongoing challenges, including crime, disease, substance abuse, and a growing number of street families and orphaned children without consistent care.
Despite these hardships, the people of Kinyago-Dandora are remarkably resilient, continuing to strive toward a stronger future for their children and their community.
CEO, Collins Mugele’s Story
The Persistent Knock: From the Slums of Dandora to the CEO’s Desk
My story begins with the sound of a hand knocking on a metal gate, day after day, until the world had no choice but to answer. I was born into a family of seven in a community where dreams are often overshadowed by survival. My parents were hardworking and devoted, selling snacks to schoolchildren so that our belly would not be empty. My mother, having lost her own education to poverty, was determined her five children would not inherit that same silence.
When she heard of Kinyago-Dandora School (KDS), she set off to the school. Though enrollment was closed, she returned with us in tow every morning. She did this every day until the Headteacher opened the gates and allowed us to be enrolled, just to stop the persistent knocking.
That open gate saved my future and that of my siblings. This answer lifted a massive burden off my parents who were already struggling to provide a roof over our head.
Growing up in the Kinyago-Dandora slums is a battle: striving for excellence while fighting off the negative influences outside the school fence. KDS was our sanctuary. As I pursued my path as an Attorney, it wasn't just textbooks that shaped me. The school’s Christian foundation instilled a compass of integrity. Many times, in my legal practice, I chose to settle parties’ conflicts fairly without exploiting technicalities. KDS taught me that success is hollow if you are not a good neighbor. This gratitude drove me back to mentor students even during my university years, desperate for them to see that their current reality was not their destination.
I always imagined I would support KDS from the sidelines of a successful law career. I thought I would be the donor, the advocate, the friend. I never imagined I would be the one holding the keys. When the invitation came to serve as the Chief Executive of Kenya Children’s Fund, it wasn't the path I had planned. But after much prayer, I realized that God doesn't just call the equipped; He equips the called. I now see that my years of "helping out" under my predecessor, Ginger Palm, were actually a masterclass in leadership. She took her time to bring out the very best in me and I stand today as a humble steward of her legacy and a servant to this mission.
Today, our alumni are the heartbeat of this mission. They are the teachers, accountants and social workers who serve because they were once the children in those same desks. They understand the struggle, so they provide the solution. Well, they are only a fifth of the staffing population, but highly impactful to the children.
When I look at our students, I see the next generation of African leaders. I want them to know their environment does not define their destiny. We hold onto the promise of Jeremiah 29:11, believing God has mapped out a path for them to prosper and lead with hope.
My parents’ prayers are now a living reality. Within our family, my mother has seen her children become nurses, a teacher, a businessman, and a CEO.
The knock on the door continues; it has only changed voices. Today, hundreds of other mothers stand where mine once stood, knocking for their children. When I look at them, I see myself. We refuse to turn them away, for we believe God has destined each of them for greatness.
To our donors: your support is the "yes" my mother waited for. Do not grow weary, for Galatians 6:9 reminds us that our persistence leads to a beautiful harvest. You are not just giving to a school; you are sowing into leaders whose "due season" is just beginning. At Kenya Children’s Fund, we ensure that when they knock, the door opens.
Kenya Children's Fund Leadership Team
Please keep our Board Members, U.S. Staff, and Kenyan Staff uplifted in prayer.
United States Team
Ginger Palm, President Emerita
Christine Petry, Finance and Administration
Board of Directors
Emily Snell - Chair
Lisa Glass
Nathan Snell - Treasurer
Scott Schwefel
Advisory Board
Gail Hazelwood
Jill T. Olson
Kenya Team
Collins Mugele, CEO
Churchill Onyango, Associate Director of Finance and Operations
Patrick Migwi, Director Sponsorship and Alumni Relations
Financial Accountability
We believe every donation should make the greatest possible impact. No administrative fees are taken from child sponsorship payments, care basket donations, capital gifts, or funds given directly to a child.
General operating expenses are funded separately so sponsorship support goes directly to the children and programs in Dandora.
If you would like more information about our financial practices or to view our Form 990, please contact our office at 952-938-2705.