about
MALAIKA
FOUNDATION
MISSION & HISTORY.
There are between 250,000-300,000 children living and working on the streets across Kenya, with more than 60,000 of them in the capital city of Nairobi. These children are without shelter and without assurance of having food every day.
Their environment is fraught with the sustained dangers of: fear, harassment, violence among themselves and towards others, drug use and drug trafficking, sexual exploitation with the high risk of contracting STD's and HIV/AIDS, starvation, and poor hygienic and sanitation conditions.
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On top of all this, these children (particularly in Nairobi) are substance abusers. Sniffing glue is their escape from poverty, homelessness, violence, and abuse on the streets. Sniffing glue helps them to suppress their hunger, because glue is cheaper than food. Some children say that they use glue and other drugs to heighten their senses. To alert them of possible violence, help them sleep during the cold nights, or to numb their physical or emotional pain.
Many of the children claim that their parents are either deceased or have abandoned them. The street, then, is their only chance to earn money and search for food.
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*statistics from Nairobi’s Street Children: Hope for Kenya’s future generation.
WHERE
WE ARE
We are located in the lively, vibrant,
and culturally rich city of Nairobi,
Kenya.
Meet The Team.
Mauro De Bettio
FOUNDER
Mauro is a travel and documentary photographer born and raised in a little village in the Italian Alps, now based in Barcelona. Mauro explores vanishing cultures, ancient traditions and contemporary culture, always retaining the human element, spending his life working on projects regarding social and human rights issues. This curiosity for such different cultures and ways of living led him to the country’s most hidden corners to capture the emotion of several individuals and their unique histories.
People of distinct cultures, characters and dogmas, who have opened a window on their stories, letting emotions, trauma, suffering and a perpetual light of life and joy in their eyes shine through. During his last trip to Kenya he got closer and closer to the street children of Nairobi. He realized soon that these souls were in extreme need of help and decided to give birth to what is today called “Malaika foundation”.
Sabbath
Sabbath is from Kenya, and is the fourth child in a family of six children. She grew up in a small remote village outside Nairobi. Having been born in poverty, her childhood wasn't easy and her life was a roller coaster of problems. She couldn't afford basic needs such as food, clothes, and school fees. Just having one meal a day was a big issue. She worked as a casual laborer in maize plantations from age 9 just to put food on the table. The hunger experience was real.
Her life and personal experience are her source of inspiration. To be part of the wonderful and selfless Malaika Foundation team, who are working tirelessly to make sure that the kid's society decided to forget have a decent meal, clothing, and medical attention, has made Sabbath’s dream a reality. It has given her a platform to give a hand to those who need it most, and she will always be thankful for that.
Elisabeth & Mersolate
Elizabeth was born and raised in a small village in Tanzania. After losing her parents at a tender age, she had no one to take care of her needs. This is why she got married at age 14. She is now a single mother of 5 children.
Mersolate she was born and raised in Nairobi, Kenya. After high school, her parents were unable to pay for her University education. She is a single mother of 1 child.
Being single mothers, these two must work hard to take care of their children who solely depend on them. Since they don't have formal employment, or a stable income, they take up small jobs such as washing clothes for people and cooking in small food shops. Since they joined the Malaika Foundation as cooks, they have done a great job in preparing meals for the Malaika children. They are very kind, hardworking, and passionate about their job. Above all, they are very tolerant, and patient, with golden hearts.
PARTNERS.
The contributions from our partners, together with the help of our donors, is extremely important for us to achieve our daily goals. Thank you!
