SHANITA
SHANITA is a nonprofit founded in 2019 that sponsors vulnerable children in Karamoja, Uganda, through long-term educational scholarships covering tuition, meals, medical care, and accommodation, funded by individual donor sponsorships and supported by partners including Bridges and OLAM.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2019
- HeadquartersKaramoja, Uganda
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What SHANITA does
SHANITA is a private nonprofit organization founded in 2019 by Lior Sperandeo and Shiri Shem-Tov, headquartered in Karamoja, Uganda, with a secondary regional management office in Mbale. The organization supports vulnerable children in Karamoja — one of Uganda's most impoverished regions, where only 38% of children attend primary school and roughly 40% of children under five are chronically malnourished — through long-term educational sponsorship covering school fees, three daily meals, medical care, accommodation, study equipment, and personal accompaniment through high school graduation.
The organization's core offerings are its Scholarship Program and Child Sponsorship Program, supplemented by Maata Academy (a Center of Excellence), a Computer Club providing basic digital literacy, After-School Programs, and Holiday Programs. The technology footprint is minimal: SHANITA operates a Wix-hosted website, standard social media accounts (LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube), and uses email newsletters for sponsor communication. There is no proprietary technology platform, mobile application, or AI system.
SHANITA's revenue model is a direct-to-consumer sponsorship model. Sponsors commit at three publicly disclosed tiers — $50/month, $600/year, or $1,800 over three years — with 100% of donations directed to sponsored children. U.S.-based donors give through Bridges for tax-deductibility, and the organization is supported through strategic partnerships with SID Israel and OLAM. A small in-country team of teachers, social workers, mentors, caretakers, and regional managers executes programs locally. The organization reports no venture funding, parent company, or institutional anchor donors, relying instead on individual sponsorships and partner contributions.
SHANITA firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- SHANITA
- Legal name
- SHANITA
- Website
- https://shanita.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2019
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- SHANITA is a nonprofit founded in 2019 that sponsors vulnerable children in Karamoja, Uganda, through long-term educational scholarships covering tuition, meals, medical care, and accommodation, funded by individual donor sponsorships and supported by partners including Bridges and OLAM.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
SHANITA industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Education Nonprofit / Child Welfare Services
- NAICS
- Educational Support Services (611710), Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Social Services (8300)
- akta.pro primary industry
- NGO/Nonprofit Education Programs & Service Delivery (EDADALAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Homeless, Foster Care & Highly Mobile Youth Education Services (EDAJAEAG), Youth Mental Health, Counseling & Wellbeing (Education-Linked) Nonprofits (BPAGADAK)
Keywords
Where SHANITA is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Karamoja
- HQ country
- Uganda
- HQ region
- Africa
Offices2 records
Markets served
SHANITA business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Individual Sponsorships: Monthly and annual sponsorship donations from individual supporters globally. Sponsors contribute to cover school fees, meals, medical care, accommodation, and personal accompaniment for each child.
- Child Sponsorship: One-time or recurring financial contributions specifically designated to support individual children through their educational journey until high school graduation.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Monthly Sponsorship - $50/month |
| Subscription | Annual | Annual Sponsorship - $600/year |
| Subscription | Multi-year contract | 3-Year Sponsorship - $1,800/3 years |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels7 records
SHANITA product offering
Product offeringCore offering
SHANITA is a nonprofit organization operating a child sponsorship and scholarship program that provides disadvantaged children in Karamoja, Uganda with comprehensive educational support including school enrollment, tuition, three daily meals, medical care, accommodation, school equipment, uniforms, transportation, and personal accompaniment by local staff through high school graduation. The organization supplements core sponsorship with digital literacy training (Computer Club), a Center of Excellence (Maata Academy), holiday programs, and after-school tutoring and mentorship.
Product overview
SHANITA is a nonprofit organization operating a unified educational support ecosystem centered on its Scholarship Program and Child Sponsorship Program. These core offerings provide disadvantaged children in Karamoja, Uganda with comprehensive support including tuition, meals, medical care, accommodation, and personal accompaniment through high school. Supplementary programs include the Computer Club (digital literacy), Maata Academy (Center of Excellence), Holiday Programs, and After-School Programs—all designed to address the holistic needs of vulnerable children beyond traditional education access.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Scholarship Program
- Child Sponsorship Program
- Computer Club
Quantifiable outcome
- 300+ vulnerable children supported with education and holistic care
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use SHANITA
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
SHANITA technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
SHANITA partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- SID IsraelcorePartner organization supporting humanitarian initiatives. SID Israel collaborates with SHANITA in providing education and support to children in Karamoja.
- OLAMcoreGlobal organization working in underserved communities. OLAM partners with SHANITA to support educational programs and sustainable development in Karamoja.
- Kara TungaminorLocal/regional partner organization in Uganda working on community development initiatives.
- BridgescoreU.S.-based partner enabling SHANITA to accept tax-deductible donations from American donors. Donors can contribute through https://www.bridges-program.org/uganda and receive official donation receipts for U.S. tax purposes.
- PARKminorPartner organization supporting programs in Uganda.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
SHANITA competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Plan International: Global children's rights and education nonprofit with active programs in Uganda. Comparable in advancing children's education, gender equality, and long-term sponsorship funding from individual donors.
- World Vision: Major international child sponsorship and community development NGO operating across sub-Saharan Africa, including Uganda. Closely comparable to SHANITA in combining child sponsorship with broader community programs in fragile regions.
- ChildFund International: Child-focused international NGO running long-term sponsorship programs in developing countries, including East Africa. Comparable funding model (recurring per-child sponsorships) and holistic child development focus.
- Compassion International: The largest and best-known child sponsorship nonprofit, sponsoring children through holistic education, health, and faith-based support in developing countries. Direct model overlap with SHANITA's per-child recurring sponsorship and comprehensive care approach.
- SOS Children's Villages: International nonprofit providing family-like care and education for vulnerable and orphaned children, with operations across Africa. Comparable holistic support model (accommodation, education, healthcare) for children without stable family support.
Emerging players
- Room to Read: Nonprofit operating literacy and girls' education programs in low-income countries across Africa and Asia. Comparable in delivering long-term educational outcomes for vulnerable children, though funded through a mix of grants and individual donations.
- Pencils of Promise: Education-focused nonprofit building schools and literacy programs in developing countries, including parts of Africa. Comparable mission of expanding educational access, though focused more on school-building than individual sponsorship.
Others
- Bridges (Program): U.S.-based partner organization that already enables SHANITA's tax-deductible donations. Adjacent enabling relationship rather than a competitor; included because it shares the international-development funding ecosystem and similar target donor demographics.
- OLAM Group: Global organization working in underserved communities that partners with SHANITA on educational programs and sustainable development in Karamoja. Ecosystem partner rather than direct competitor, with overlapping values around education access in fragile regions.
Regional players
- African Library Project: Smaller-scale nonprofit establishing libraries and literacy support in African communities. Thematically comparable to SHANITA's education mission in Africa, but operates on a smaller per-community basis without child sponsorship.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
SHANITA social profiles
Digital presenceSHANITA financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
SHANITA leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles10 records
SHANITA funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
SHANITA M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about SHANITA
What does SHANITA do?
SHANITA is a nonprofit organization operating a child sponsorship and scholarship program that provides disadvantaged children in Karamoja, Uganda with comprehensive educational support including school enrollment, tuition, three daily meals, medical care, accommodation, school equipment, uniforms, transportation, and personal accompaniment by local staff through high school graduation. The organization supplements core sponsorship with digital literacy training (Computer Club), a Center of Excellence (Maata Academy), holiday programs, and after-school tutoring and mentorship.
Is SHANITA a public or private company?
SHANITA is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was SHANITA founded?
SHANITA was founded in 2019. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is SHANITA based?
SHANITA is headquartered in Karamoja, Uganda, in the Africa region.
How does SHANITA make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Individual Sponsorships are the primary driver. The others are child Sponsorship.
Who are SHANITA's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Plan International, World Vision, ChildFund International, Compassion International and SOS Children's Villages. Emerging players are Room to Read and Pencils of Promise. Others are Bridges (Program) and OLAM Group. African Library Project is listed as a regional player.
Does SHANITA have an API?
No public API is recorded for SHANITA.
What industry is SHANITA in?
SHANITA's product category is Education Nonprofit / Child Welfare Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDADALAC, NGO/Nonprofit Education Programs & Service Delivery, with a secondary code of EDAJAEAG, Homeless, Foster Care & Highly Mobile Youth Education Services. Its NAICS code is 611710 and its SIC code is 8200.