THE MWEZI FOUNDATION

What THE MWEZI FOUNDATION does

The Mwezi Foundation is a UK-registered charity (Charity No. 1163037) and company limited by guarantee, founded in 2014 with operations beginning in 2015, that distributes portable solar lights to primary schools in rural south-east Kenya so pupils can study after dark. Headquartered at 12 Vicarage Road, Henley-on-Thames, with a manufacturing workshop in Likoni, Mombasa, the organisation serves approximately 269-298 schools across Kwale and Kilifi counties through a direct-distribution model in which schools lend units to students. As of the 2025 annual report, 8,759 lights were in circulation, 22,104 learners had been impacted, and the Kenyan team conducted 562 school visits. The core product is the Mwezi Solar Light — a custom-designed portable lamp with simplified assembly, waterproof square casing (redesigned 2021), and a near-zero-waste repair-and-reissue model that collects broken units, salvages components, and re-donates refurbished lights at no charge to schools.

Revenue is generated entirely through charitable streams: individual donations (including Gift Aid), grants from at least 16 named UK and international trusts and foundations (Austin Bailey, Ashworth, Casey, Coles-Medlock, De La Rue, Educational Opportunity Foundation, Gibbs, Haramead, Hasluck, NextEnergy, Schroder, Souter, Sterry Family, TheirWorld, plus Coles-Medlock as a Big Give Champion), corporate partnerships and payroll giving, and fundraising events channelled through JustGiving and the Big Give Christmas Challenge. The charity operates with five Kenyan staff on full-time pay and a UK board of pro bono directors, with key professional services (marketing via Mzuri since 2019; recruitment via Bourne Recruitment) provided at no cost. Lights are always free to schools including replacements, and unit cost is publicly framed at roughly £30 per light manufactured, delivered, and serviced once. An add-on Scholarship programme launched in February 2022 covers full secondary education for top-performing Mwezi-supported students, currently supporting six scholars.

Name

THE MWEZI FOUNDATION

Legal name

The Mwezi Foundation

Website

https://mwezifoundation.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Mwezi Foundation is a UK-registered charity that manufactures and distributes durable portable solar lights free of charge to primary schools in rural Kwale and Kilifi counties in Kenya, enabling pupils to study after dark and reducing reliance on kerosene lamps.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Henley On Thames

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: One-off or monthly donations from individuals, including Gift Aid contributions
2. Trust and Foundation Grants: Funding from grant-making trusts including Austin Bailey Foundation, Ashworth Charitable Trust, Casey Trust, Coles-Medlock Foundation, De La Rue Charitable Trust, Educational Opportunity Foundation, Gibbs Charitable Trust, Haramead Trust, Hasluck Charitable Trust, NextEnergy Foundation, Schroder Charitable Trust, Souter Charitable Trust, Sterry Family Foundation, and TheirWorld
3. Corporate Partnerships: Corporate donations through payroll giving, company charity partnerships, and pro bono services from partners like Mzuri (marketing/design) and Bourne Recruitment
4. Fundraising Events: Sponsorship from participants in events like the Great North Run, with donations channelled through JustGiving

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The Mwezi Foundation manufactures portable, durable solar lights at its workshop in Likoni, Mombasa, Kenya, and donates them free of charge to primary schools in rural Kwale and Kilifi counties in south-east Kenya. The schools lend the lights to pupils who lack electricity at home so they can study at night and before sunrise, with broken lights collected, repaired and re-donated under a long-term relationship model.

Product overview

The Mwezi Foundation operates a single core product: the Mwezi Solar Light, a durable portable solar lamp manufactured in their Likoni workshop and distributed to schools for lending to students. The program is supported by the Mwezi Foundation Scholarship (add-on scholarship program for top-performing students) and ongoing School Support Services (termly visits, light replacement, and monitoring). The Mwezi Solar Light has been iteratively redesigned, with the current transparent square-shaped case introduced in 2021 featuring simplified components and waterproof construction for Kenya's equatorial climate.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Mwezi Solar Light A durable, portable solar light designed for rural Kenyan schoolchildren to study at night. Features simplified assembly, a transparent square-shaped casing with waterproof screws, and a repair-and-replace guarantee. Manufactured in the foundation's Likoni, Mombasa workshop and donated free of charge to schools, which lend the lights to pupils.
• Solar Room Lighting Systems On occasion, the foundation installs in-school lighting systems that light up one or two rooms within partner schools, complementing the portable Mwezi Solar Light lending programme.
• Mwezi Foundation Scholarship A scholarship programme that supports top-performing students from Mwezi-supported primary schools who earn places at national or county secondary schools but whose families cannot afford fees. Covers full secondary education including uniforms, textbooks, and travel expenses.

Quantifiable outcome

• 22,104 learners impacted with 14,736 new lights donated
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and major.

• MzuricoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2019Marketing, design and digital agency based in Liphook, Hampshire. Pro-bono partnership since 2019. Creative director and founder lived in Kenya until age 16. Has elevated the Mwezi brand, refreshed the website, and created marketing materials.
• Bourne RecruitmentminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSearch and selection recruitment company based in UK with focus on Africa. Founder Andrew Bourne is also a patron of Mwezi Foundation. Supports through networking and promoting the charity.
• George Nash MBEmajorOthersOlympic rowing gold medallist (Rio 2016) and bronze medallist (London 2012). Cambridge University engineering graduate. Managing director of an engineering firm in Surrey. Passionate about simple, robust product design. Patron since 2023.
• Alan Pover CMGmajorOthersFormer diplomat with extensive experience in developing countries, including as High Commissioner in The Gambia supporting overseas aid programmes. Patron supporting Mwezi Foundation.
• Andrew BournemajorOthersSpecialist recruiter/head-hunter focusing on Africa. Founder of Bourne Recruitment. Patron supporting Mwezi Foundation through networking and promotion.

Scale indicators16 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Pencils of Promise: US-registered education charity building schools and supporting learners in developing countries including Ghana, Guatemala, Laos, and Nicaragua; comparable charity model and education-outcomes focus, though not solar-specific.

Direct peers

• SolarAid: UK-registered charity that fights poverty through solar light distribution across Africa; the closest mission-and-model analogue to Mwezi, including the founder-led, school-and-household distribution approach.
• Solar Sister: Non-profit distributing clean energy products including solar lanterns across sub-Saharan Africa via women entrepreneurs; shares the charity-distribution model and rural Kenya presence.
• Sun King: Formerly Greenlight Planet, distributes pay-as-you-go portable solar lanterns across Kenya and emerging markets; a direct product competitor to the Mwezi Solar Light.
• d.light: For-profit manufacturer and distributor of affordable solar lanterns and home systems across Kenya and East Africa; competes for the same end-users but via a pay-as-you-go commercial model.
• SunnyMoney: SolarAid's distribution arm selling solar lights to schools and households in East Africa; shares Mwezi's school-channel focus and East African geographic footprint.

Broad incumbents

• M-KOPA Solar: Largest pay-as-you-go solar home system provider in East Africa with significant Kenya operations; comparable end-customer (off-grid rural households) but broader product portfolio and credit-based commercial model.
• BBOXX: UK-based solar home system provider operating across East Africa including Kenya; comparable product category and off-grid customer base, but with financing infrastructure Mwezi lacks.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@mwezifoundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/mwezifoundation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-mwezi-foundation

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles16 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 THE MWEZI FOUNDATION