Gakundi Sr. Memorial Foundation

The **Gakundi Memorial Foundation (GMF)** is a Swiss-based non-profit organization dedicated to breaking the cycle of poverty through education. The Foundation was established in memory of the Gakundi family, with the conviction that a child’s financial circumstances should not determine their ability to access quality education and build a better future.

Our Mission and Goals

Our mission is simple: **to help end poverty through education**.

GMF focuses primarily on academically motivated students from disadvantaged backgrounds in Kenya who have the potential to succeed but whose families cannot afford the costs associated with secondary education. Our goal is not only to pay school fees, but to give students the stability, encouragement and support they need to complete their education and create opportunities for themselves, their families and ultimately their communities.

Our approach is based on three principles: **access, continuity and community**. We identify students with genuine financial need, support them throughout their education rather than through isolated one-off interventions, and build a community connecting students, schools, sponsors, volunteers and supporters.

Our History and Activities

GMF began on a relatively small scale, initially supporting approximately **40 students**. Over time, through the generosity of individual donors, volunteers, corporate supporters and partner schools, the program has grown to support **more than 100 students**.

The Foundation currently works with a number of secondary schools in Kenya, including schools in and around Nyeri and other parts of the country. Our activities include identifying and selecting students in financial need, working directly with schools to verify eligibility, paying or contributing toward school fees, monitoring students' continued participation in education, and maintaining relationships between the Foundation, schools, students and sponsors.

Our sponsorship model is designed to provide sustained support. The approximate cost of supporting a student is **CHF 500 per year**, generally with the objective of supporting the student for approximately three years. This long-term approach reduces the risk that a student begins secondary education but is subsequently forced to leave because their family can no longer afford the fees.

The Foundation has grown through a strong community of individual sponsors and supporters, including donors in Switzerland and internationally. We have also benefited from corporate and institutional support. Importantly, GMF seeks to keep its administrative costs low so that the greatest possible proportion of donations directly supports education.

Building a Community Around Education

GMF believes that sustainable impact requires more than fundraising. We therefore seek to create meaningful connections between the people who support education and the young people whose opportunities they are helping to expand.

In Switzerland, we organize community and fundraising activities that combine sport, social engagement and education. These activities raise funds while also increasing awareness of educational inequality and encouraging individuals, families and companies to participate in our mission.

In 2026, for example, we are organizing **Move for Education**, a community fundraising event in Geneva bringing together families and supporters through walking, running and football activities. The event reflects our philosophy of making philanthropy accessible, participative and community-driven.

Digitalization and Transparency

As the Foundation has grown, we have also invested in strengthening our governance, transparency and ability to communicate with sponsors.

We are developing **Pamoja**, a digital platform designed to connect the GMF ecosystem—including sponsors, schools, students and the Foundation team. The platform is intended to improve the management of sponsorships, communication, student information and reporting while protecting students' personal information.

Our ambition is to make it increasingly easy for a sponsor to understand how their contribution is being used and to see the human impact behind their support.

Future Plans

Our immediate objective is to build a financially sustainable model capable of supporting approximately **150 students on an ongoing basis**, while maintaining the personal and transparent character of the Foundation.

Over the coming years, we plan to deepen our relationships with existing schools, responsibly expand our network of partner schools and sponsors, strengthen our governance and financial reporting, and continue developing the Pamoja digital platform.

We also aim to increase partnerships with companies, foundations and community organizations that share our belief in education as one of the most powerful and sustainable ways of addressing poverty.

As GMF grows, our priority is **sustainable impact rather than growth for its own sake**. We want every student we accept into the program to have a realistic expectation of continued support throughout the agreed sponsorship period.

Ultimately, the Gakundi Memorial Foundation seeks to create a growing community in which people who have had access to opportunity help create that same opportunity for others. By enabling talented young people to remain in school and complete their education, we believe we can contribute to lasting change—one student, one family and one community at a time.