Don Bosco Makululu

What Don Bosco Makululu does

Don Bosco Makululu is a non-profit charitable foundation that operates an integrated children's home, K-12 school, and vocational training programme for street-connected and abandoned boys in the Makululu compound of Kabwe, Zambia — one of the largest slums in southern Africa. Founded in 2017 under the Salesian Missionary Foundation 'Don Bosco' and registered as a foundation in Warsaw, Poland (KRS 0001103865), the organization provides residential care for approximately 70 boys at the Ciloto Children's Home and the newer Ciloto 2 intensive rehabilitation centre, alongside a primary school of 925 pupils and a secondary school of 330 pupils drawn both from the orphanage and the surrounding Makululu community. The service model bundles shelter, three daily meals, primary and secondary education, vocational skills training (bricklaying, computer studies, food production), regular health check-ups and medicines, psychological support, music and sports activities, and addiction detoxification into a single care continuum, with a Family Reintegration Program extending outreach up to 400 km from Kabwe. Services are provided free of charge to beneficiaries; the stated per-day cost to feed one boy is approximately 50 Zambian Kwacha (~US$2).

The business model is entirely donation-driven: revenue is sourced from voluntary contributions by individuals and organizations worldwide, processed through the Polish-registered foundation via PayU Poland payment integration, bank transfers, and traditional direct debits. The organization has no commercial revenue streams, no disclosed financials, no institutional investors, and operates with 1–10 employees under the direction of Salesian priests Fr. Michał Wziętek, Fr. Andrzej Zdzieborski, Fr. Christopher Nonde, and Fr. Piotr Gozdalski. Go-to-market consists of digital awareness channels — a website, Facebook, Instagram, email newsletter, and the November 2022 documentary 'Rescued from the Street' produced in 4K — used to recruit and retain donors rather than customers. The underlying technology is non-existent as a competitive asset: payment processing is the only third-party integration, and the value proposition rests entirely on the Salesian missionary tradition, physical facilities embedded in the target community, and the integrated care model rather than any technology platform.

Name

Don Bosco Makululu

Legal name

Don Bosco Makululu Foundation

Website

https://donboscomakululu.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Don Bosco Makululu is a Polish-registered Salesian non-profit operating a children's home, K-12 school, and addiction rehabilitation centre for approximately 70 residential street-connected boys and over 1,000 day-students in the Makululu slum of Kabwe, Zambia, funded entirely by donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Children's Welfare Services (residential care, education, and rehabilitation)

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411), Elementary and Secondary Schools (611110), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Homeless, Foster Care & Highly Mobile Youth Education Services (EDAJAEAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Dropout Prevention, Alternative Education & Re-Engagement Nonprofits (BPAGADAL), Youth Mental Health, Counseling & Wellbeing (Education-Linked) Nonprofits (BPAGADAK), Substance Use Prevention & Student Assistance Programs (School-Based) (EDAKAMAJ)

Keywords

• Children's home services
• Street children rehabilitation
• Primary and secondary education
• Vocational skills training
• Family reintegration programmes

Headquarters

HQ city

Kabwe

HQ country

Zambia

HQ region

Africa

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Charitable Donations: Don Bosco Makululu operates as a charitable organization funded entirely through voluntary donations from individuals and organizations worldwide. Donors contribute funds through the website using financial intermediation services (PayU Poland), bank transfers, or traditional direct debits. The foundation issues donation confirmations as required by law and uses funds exclusively for statutory objectives including children's care, education, and rehabilitation.

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Don Bosco Makululu runs a residential and educational campus in Kabwe, Zambia that shelters around 70 street-connected boys at the Ciloto Children's Home, provides primary and secondary schooling to approximately 1,255 pupils, and operates the Ciloto 2 rehabilitation centre for addiction recovery. Complementary programmes include an Oratorio youth centre, a Brass Band music initiative, a Skills Centre for vocational training, and a Family Reintegration programme that reunites children with relatives. The mission is operated by Salesian missionaries and funded entirely through donations channelled through the parent foundation in Poland.

Product overview

Don Bosco Makululu operates a comprehensive charitable organization for street-connected and abandoned children in Kabwe, Zambia. The core offering is the Ciloto Children's Home, which provides shelter, care, and rehabilitation for boys. This is supported by an integrated educational system (Primary School, Secondary School, and Skills Centre offering vocational training in bricklaying, computer studies, and food production), the Oratorio youth program, a music/Brass Band program, and Ciloto 2 for intensive addiction rehabilitation. The organization also produces the 'Rescued from the Street' documentary. Services include family reintegration support. The organization operates under the Salesian missionary tradition, inspired by St. John Bosco.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Ciloto Children's Home Residential care home on the Don Bosco Makululu campus in Kabwe that shelters approximately 70 street-connected and abandoned boys, providing housing, nutrition, healthcare, and a stable family-style environment.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Salesian Missionary Foundation 'Don Bosco'coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2022The parent foundation that operates Don Bosco Makululu. Produced the documentary 'Rescued from the Street' and supports the organization's statutory activities. Provides organizational framework and missionary resources for the children's home and school operations.
• CELIMminorOthersPartner organization noted for research on street-connected children in Zambia. CELIM's data indicates that 85% of street-connected children are boys, providing context for Don Bosco Makululu's focus on male beneficiaries.
• Fr. Peter Gozdalski SDBcoreOthersProducer of the documentary 'Rescued from the Street'. Active missionary and key figure in Don Bosco Makululu operations.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Street Child: UK-based charity working to deliver education and protection to street-connected children across Africa and Asia, including active programs in Zambia. Comparable mission, beneficiary type, and fundraising model.
• Railway Children: International NGO focused on protecting and rehabilitating street-connected children in India, East Africa, and the UK. Directly comparable target population and shelter-plus-reintegration mission.
• SOS Children's Villages: Global nonprofit running family-style children's homes, schools, and youth support services for orphaned and abandoned children in 130+ countries. Directly comparable residential-care-plus-education model for vulnerable children.
• Salesian Missions: The U.S.-based development arm of the Salesians of Don Bosco, funding education and youth welfare programs worldwide. Direct network peer with shared missionary philosophy, donor base, and operational model.
• Kids Alive International: Faith-based nonprofit running residential care homes, schools, and family restoration programs for orphaned and at-risk children in Latin America, Africa, and Asia. Directly comparable care-plus-education model.

Broad incumbents

• Covenant House: Largest privately funded nonprofit in the Americas providing shelter, education, and support services to homeless and trafficked youth. Broader incumbent operating a similar residential-care-plus-education model at much larger scale.
• Mary's Meals: Global nonprofit providing school meals to feed and educate impoverished children across Africa, Asia, Latin America. Adjacent faith-rooted nonprofit addressing child welfare and education in overlapping African geographies.
• Bethany Christian Services: Faith-based nonprofit providing foster care, adoption, and family support services for vulnerable children. Comparable faith-rooted social-services model for at-risk youth.

Regional players

• Childline Zambia: Zambian child-protection helpline and counseling service supporting vulnerable and abused children. Regional peer addressing overlapping beneficiary populations (orphans, street children) within the same country.
• CIFA Onlus: Italian NGO supporting educational and welfare projects for street children internationally, including partnerships in Zambia. Comparable Salesian-adjacent Catholic mission and beneficiary focus.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/DBMakululu
• Instagraminstagram.com/donboscomakululu

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Don Bosco Makululu