Sustainability Support for The Makindye Foundation

Hello, and welcome to the Makindye Foundation in Kampala, Uganda!

We are a “family” of 15, mostly consisting of children who were homeless “street kids” who have been given a home, food, and other basic needs by the foundation over the last year. Our goal is to raise enough money to help the foundation start small business ventures that are sustainable, which will cover their living costs, and supply them needed training and experience to become self-sufficient.

Akram, the head of the household, has a plastic recycling business. This brings in enough for small daily expenses, but not enough for full rent and food for the 15 residents under our care. It has been a challenge maintaining this establishment. However, these basic expenses can be covered with enough investment in Akram’s plastic recycling. We are also planning other small start-up businesses, including baking, catering and food delivery, sewing and tailoring, and auto mechanics, so that the older group members can learn skills while working from home, which can lead them into work opportunities and self-sufficiency in their future.

Among our goals, the foundation hopes to rent a better house in a safer area with a yard big enough to continue their current dance and acrobatics training, as well as space to accommodate one or more income-producing businesses to help with housing expenses. With enough daily income, the children will be enjoying more balanced nutrition—currently, they are living solely on rice and beans, and porridge for breakfast. They need more meat in their diet, milk, fresh fruits, and vegetables for proper growth. Too often, a child falls sick, which means more monthly medical expenses. A stronger immune system from more balanced meals will help this. After diet and housing have been addressed, we can further develop their school and vocational training options.

Our story: I first came to Uganda in 2018, interested in setting up a social enterprise to export essential oils to my home country, the United States. I was introduced to another organization that housed orphans and children who had been living on the street. These children were accomplished acrobats and street dancers, and they performed when and wherever they could for money or other donations. I fell in love with this group and would visit them almost weekly, bringing snacks and spending time with them. I soon became “Uncle Mike,” and over time, I became close to a couple of the older ones, Brian and Akram. They are now like sons to me, and I’m a father to them, a responsibility I take seriously. They are both 21 years old now. They had left the other program due to the abuse they suffered under the head of that organization. I support them as best I can, not just financially but also emotionally.

Brian and Akram were teaching acrobatics to a new group in their area. The neighbors had noticed that some of the children were homeless and sleeping in the street. The authorities then found them, and addressed the situation by beating and caning the children, leaving them lost, upset, and crying. Brian and Akram took it upon themselves to take four of the youngest kids (two each) and support them in their homes. That was all they were able to do. I created an online fundraiser to finally get a home for them all. We found temporary lodgings with a yard, and raised enough to cover three months’ rent, furnishings, and food stock.

This was last August. Once the rent and food ran out, they were supported by myself and another American donor, along with a chicken business they started but had to stop when their landlady forbade poultry on her property. These have been temporary solutions, and we're trying to get to a situation that can be sustainable. I cannot carry this load myself, nor is it empowering for them in the long run. Once the foundation becomes self-sustaining, we will be in a position to support others, but for the moment, these kids are in front of us and depend on us. The stakes are high.

Financial support would go toward these goals:

$1000 – Plastic recycling investment (consisting of purchasing polythene bags, which are then converted into pellets and sold to plastics factories for a small profit). This amount will allow Akram to fully cover the monthly rent, food (bags of beans, rice, corn flour, sugar, oil, etc.), utilities, medicine, school fees, and small daily expenses. At present, he is only able to cover the daily expenses. Food and rent have been a struggle, with total costs adding up to over $600 monthly, which we have been maintaining ourselves along with whatever donations can be obtained.

$1500 – The NGO (Non-Governmental Organization) registration. This is a key step in order for the Makindye Foundation to receive grants or subsidies from the Ugandan government. It would also allow me to be designated co-director of the Makindye Foundation, obtain a Ugandan work permit (good for three years, renewable), and be able to stay and support the foundation for longer periods of time. I have been operating under the constraints of 90-day tourist visa extensions, and back and forth from Uganda to the United States, which has not been the best arrangement.

Any support you can share, no matter how small, helps us reach these goals.

Every donor gets a personal thank-you video from the group and me. We cannot thank you enough for all your love, care, and support.

Many blessings, and we’re immensely grateful to you!!

Michael Stromme

P.S. On social media, you can follow Akram’s posts of the kids’ dance and acrobatics videos: