What Malaika Foundation does

Malaika Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2007 by Noëlla Coursaris Musunka, headquartered in New York with operations based in Kalebuka, Democratic Republic of the Congo. It operates a holistic ecosystem of empowerment programs — including a free school for 430 girls, a community center serving roughly 5,200 users, 32 clean water wells reaching approximately 46,000 people, a working farm producing more than 200,000 meals annually, vocational training launched in 2021, healthcare, and sports-for-development — delivered by a 100% Congolese-led team of approximately 17 staff.

The foundation's programmatic offerings are delivered through a network of physical infrastructure in Kalebuka rather than a software platform. Core "products" include the Malaika School, Community Center (with library, IT lab, sports facilities), Water & Health initiatives, Agriculture & Nutrition (farm), Vocational Training (in partnership with Caterpillar and Congo Equipment), and Sports for Development. Educational enrichment includes robotics (a nationally awarded First Lego League team), Code Like a Girl STEM programming, Nzuri Threads, and a Student Sponsorship program.

Its revenue model is philanthropic: individual sponsorships (at $775/year per student), corporate and foundation grants (including Caterpillar, FIFA, L'Oréal, UEFA, and SAP), unrestricted public donations, and a Legacy Fund endowment mechanism launched in 2025 to secure long-term sustainability. A reported 85% of funds are directed to programs versus overhead. There are no paying customers in the conventional sense; the "customer base" is split between donors (diversified) and beneficiaries (geographically concentrated in Kalebuka).

Name

Malaika Foundation

Legal name

Georges Malaika Foundation Incorporated

Website

https://malaika.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Malaika Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit operating a holistic education, clean water, healthcare, agriculture, and vocational training ecosystem in Kalebuka, DRC, serving 430 schoolgirls and tens of thousands of community members, funded by individual donations and corporate foundation grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Education and Community Development

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (611110), Educational Support Services (611710), Community Food Services (624210), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

NGO/Nonprofit Education Programs & Service Delivery (EDADALAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

International Development & Donor-Funded Education Programs (EDADALAB), Rural Livelihoods & Economic Empowerment (BPAGABAA), Nutrition & Food Security (Global Health) NGOs (HLAJAKAH), Sustainable Agriculture & Food Systems (BPAGAGAI)

Keywords

• Girls education programs
• Community development services
• Vocational training programs
• Clean water access
• Agricultural nutrition services

Headquarters

HQ city

New York

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: One-time and recurring monetary donations from individuals supporting the Malaika ecosystem. Donation tiers range from $25 for emergency medical care to $5,500 for building a manual well.
2. Student Sponsorship Program: Year-long student sponsorship covering a girl's education at $775/year or $65/month. Includes curriculum, meals, uniforms, supplies, health check-ups, and extracurricular activities.
3. Corporate and Foundation Grants: Funding from corporate foundations such as Caterpillar Foundation, L'Oréal Fund For Women, UEFA Foundation, FIFA Foundation, and others.
4. Legacy Fund: Endowment fund designed to provide financial stability and perpetuity for Malaika's work, generating steady annual returns to fund core programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Malaika Foundation delivers free education, clean water, healthcare, agricultural nutrition, vocational training, and sports programs to girls, youth, and families in Kalebuka, Democratic Republic of Congo. The organization operates the Malaika School for 430 girls, a Community Center serving 5,200+ community members, 32 water wells serving 36,000+ people, and an organic farm providing 200,000+ meals annually. All programs are offered free of charge to beneficiaries and are funded through donations, sponsorships, and grants from individuals, corporations, and foundations.

Product overview

Malaika Foundation operates a holistic ecosystem of empowerment in Kalebuka, DRC, centered around six interconnected pillars: Malaika School (free education for 430 girls), Community Center (literacy and vocational training for 5,000+ community members), Water & Health (32 wells serving 36,000 people), Agriculture & Nutrition (organic farm with meal program), Vocational Training (technical certifications in partnership with Caterpillar Foundation), and Sports for Development. The ecosystem includes specific programs like Robotics (First Lego League), Code Like a Girl (STEM training), Nzuri Threads (women's vocational sewing), and Student Sponsorship. All programs work together as a replicable model for community transformation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Malaika School Free primary and secondary school for 430 girls in Kalebuka, DRC, providing daily classes in French and English covering math, science, IT, arts, and extracurricular activities, with meals, uniforms, and healthcare included.
• Community Center Hub providing free literacy and vocational education, sports programs, and internet access, serving over 5,200 youth and adults annually in Kalebuka.
• Water & Health Program Clean water infrastructure of 32 wells serving 36,000+ people across Kalebuka, plus health check-ups, sanitary products, mosquito nets, and hygiene education for students and community members.
• Agriculture & Nutrition Program Organic farm and meal program providing two nutritious meals daily to all Malaika School students and staff, with over 200,000 meals produced annually and more than 1.7 million meals served since 2011.
• Vocational Training Program Technical vocational training in engineering mechanics, welding, plumbing, advanced IT, and catering, delivered in partnership with Caterpillar Foundation and Congo Equipment with pathways to accredited certifications and employment.
• Sports for Development Program Sports programs including football, tennis, and athletics that enable students to compete at national tournaments and develop leadership, discipline, and self-confidence.

Quantifiable outcome

• 99.3% school retention rate (vs 53% national average in DRC)
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• FIFAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFIFA partnered with Malaika in 2013 to build the Community Center, which today serves over 6,000 youth and adults annually with literacy, vocational, and sports programs.
• Congo EquipmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to advance Malaika's mission through technical training program providing immediate employment to trainees in engineering mechanics and welding.
• Varkey FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganizer of the Global Teacher Prize that recognized Malaika's Teacher Therese as a Top 50 Finalist in 2023.
• Dubai CaresminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organizer of the Global Teacher Prize 2023 that spotlighted Teacher Therese's work.
• UNESCOminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organizer of the Global Teacher Prize 2023.

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Camfed: Camfed (Campaign for Female Education) supports girls' secondary education and post-school transition in Sub-Saharan Africa, including via community-led programs overlapping with Malaika's holistic model serving girls in rural DRC.
• Room to Read: Room to Read operates literacy and girls' education programs across developing countries, with a comparable model of long-term, community-based education support that closely mirrors Malaika's school and Community Center approach.
• Pencils of Promise: Pencils of Promise builds schools and supports education in developing countries with a holistic community model, directly comparable to Malaika's school-centered ecosystem in Kalebuka.
• charity: water: charity: water funds clean water infrastructure in developing countries; Malaika's 32 wells serving 46,000 people in DRC make it a direct functional peer in rural WASH delivery.
• Free The Children / WE Charity: WE Charity (formerly Free The Children) operates a holistic, community-empowerment model combining education, water, and health in developing regions — directly parallel to Malaika's integrated ecosystem approach.
• WaterAid: WaterAid is a global WASH-focused nonprofit working on clean water and sanitation in low-income countries, comparable to Malaika's water program and broader health-outreach model.

Emerging players

• Malala Fund: The Malala Fund advocates for and invests in girls' secondary education globally, sharing Malaika's mission and beneficiary focus, though it operates more as an advocacy and grantmaking platform than a direct service provider.

Broad incumbents

• Plan International: Plan International is a large incumbent NGO delivering children's rights, education, and community development programs across multiple countries, overlapping with Malaika's education and community empowerment work in DRC.
• CARE International: CARE International is a large humanitarian and development organization addressing poverty through education, health, and economic empowerment — a broad incumbent that overlaps with several of Malaika's pillars at greater scale but lower specificity.
• UNICEF: UNICEF is the global UN agency for children's welfare, including education, water, and health in DRC; a broad incumbent whose mandate and geographic footprint overlap with Malaika's mission and operating region.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Malaika Foundation