What Mash Foundation Trust does

The Mash Foundation Trust is a non-profit charitable organization registered in Nairobi, Kenya on April 13, 2009, operating a community resource centre and library in Mutalia, Joska, Machakos County — the only community library within a 50-kilometer radius. Founded by Hamish Jackson and Charles Macharia, the charity serves underprivileged children and youth in the Joska community through free access to books, ICT classes, art classes, mentorship, and health/academic talks, alongside satellite school libraries in five public schools reaching over 2,000 pupils. The organization is governed by trustees (including Charles Macharia as Trustee and Regional Program Director, Nancy Mugure, and supported by Tina Njoroge as Administrator) and operates with a small core team supplemented by local and international volunteers.

The Mash Foundation's revenue model is donation-based with no commercial products or services sold. Income is derived from individual donations via PayPal, recurring child sponsorship subscriptions (£30/$30 per term or £90/$90 per year), overseas volunteer placement fees (with at least 10% of the trip price constituting a charitable donation), and in-kind book donations from international book drives. The pricing model uses unit-based donation tiers (e.g., $3 for story books, $40 for a study table, $100/month for librarian support) and subscription-based sponsorship tiers. Distribution occurs through direct service delivery at the Joska resource center, the five-school satellite library program, the website's PayPal donation portal, the volunteer placement program, and global in-kind book donation channels.

The Mash Foundation's technology footprint is minimal: a WordPress-based website integrated with PayPal for donations, and YouTube/Flickr for content hosting. The organization's underlying technology is essentially the physical community library facility itself — books, computers for ICT classes, and art supplies — supported by word-of-mouth referrals, volunteer ambassadors, and grassroots community engagement. Strategic partnerships with corporate donors (DHL Bahrain, OrthoLink Scotland, Bain and Company London, British School of Bahrain, SecurKenya), institutional partners (Imperial College Finance Society, Kenyatta University, Kenya National Library, Africa-Asia Venture), and local publishers (Moran Publishers) underpin its operational and fundraising capacity.

Name

Mash Foundation Trust

Legal name

The MASH Foundation Trust

Website

https://mashfoundationtrust.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Mash Foundation Trust is a Kenyan non-profit charity running the only community library within a 50-kilometer radius of Joska, Machakos County, providing free books, ICT classes, art classes and mentorship to underprivileged children and youth, funded by donations, child sponsorships and volunteer fees.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Education and Development Services

NAICS

Child and Youth Services (62411), Child and Youth Services (624110), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

K–12 Support & School Improvement Nonprofits (BPAGADAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Child Protection & Child Rights (BPAGABAG), Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB), Volunteer Program Funding, Scholarships & Fundraising Support (EDAIAGAO)

Keywords

• Community education programs
• Child sponsorship services
• Community library services
• Volunteer placement programs
• Microfinance social enterprise

Headquarters

HQ city

Nairobi

HQ country

Kenya

HQ region

Africa

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Direct donations from individuals supporting specific programs including library operations, child sponsorship, and general operations. Donors can select specific causes for their contributions.
2. Child Sponsorship: Recurring sponsorship payments to support children's education from primary through secondary school. Costs £30 per term, £90 per year for primary school children.
3. Volunteer Program Fees: Fees charged to overseas volunteers cover transport, accommodation, food, water and guide fees, with at least 10% being a charitable donation to the project.
4. Book Donations: In-kind book donations received through organized book drives from schools, companies, and individuals worldwide.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Mash Foundation Trust runs a community resource centre and library in Joska, Machakos County, Kenya, providing children and youth with free access to books, free ICT classes, free art classes, and mentorship. It supplements these services with a child sponsorship program (£30 per term) covering school fees, satellite school libraries reaching over 2,000 pupils, volunteer placements, and community microfinance projects.

Product overview

The Mash Foundation Trust operates as a non-profit charity organization running multiple interconnected programs centered around a community resource center and library in Joska, Machakos County, Kenya. The core offering consists of the Community Library and Resource Centre (opened April 12, 2016), which provides free access to books, ICT classes, art classes, and mentorship for children and youth. This is complemented by a School Libraries Program with satellite libraries in five public schools reaching over 2000 pupils daily. The Child Sponsorship Program (£30/term) supports underprivileged children from primary through secondary education. The Talent and Skill Development Program provides free art and computer training, while the Puppet Show Programs deliver child protection awareness. The organization also operates a Microfinance Social Enterprise with goat breeding and community self-help group programs to promote sustainable economic development. Volunteer and sponsorship programs round out the service portfolio, creating an integrated ecosystem focused on grassroots education and community empowerment.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Community Library and Resource Centre The only community library within a 50-kilometer radius of Joska, Kenya, providing children and youth with free access to books, art classes, ICT classes, counselling, and mentorship programs.
• School Libraries Program

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 2000 pupils have free access to story books through 5 satellite school libraries
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• OrthoLink (Scotland) LtdminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 5 April 2021Scottish medical device company founded by Jim Malcolm in 2004. They distribute joint replacement implants, surgical instruments and rehabilitation products to hospitals across the UK. Partner and friend sponsoring children's education, mentorship program, and community development projects. Jim Malcolm and Sean Malcolm have made personal donations and provided ongoing support.
• Imperial College Finance Society (ICFS)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 April 2021Student body at Imperial College seeking to empower communities with entrepreneurship skills and business concepts. Links overseas volunteers to community projects in Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda.
• SecurKenya Group LtdminorGTM or Marketing PartnerDonated iron sheets for roofing The MASH Foundation community center. Provided in-kind support for infrastructure development.
• DHL BahrainminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate Social Responsibility (Go Teach) program. Extremely generous in offering free shipping of over 120kg of reading books from British School of Bahrain community to Nairobi.
• Bain and Company (London)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerDonated 70 books and raised $250 for book shipment in July 2019. Organized by employee Tomek McClintock. Part of their corporate social responsibility initiatives.
• British School of Bahrain CommunityminorGTM or Marketing PartnerWinter term 2019 book drive collecting over 120kg of reading books. Initiative organized by Ms Susan Cullen, Charlotte Rodney and Shamayel Qureshi. Students, parents, teachers and friends were extremely generous with donations.
• Africa-Asia VentureminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUK-based gap year company. Charles Macharia was team leader and project manager for this company. Historically facilitated volunteer placements and referrals to MASH Foundation programs.
• Kenyatta UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal university whose volunteers receive certificates and recommendation letters from MASH Foundation. Internships welcome for children's talent development program.
• Moran Publishers (Kenya)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal Kenyan publisher and friend of the MASH Foundation who has donated books to the community library.
• Kenya National LibraryminorGTM or Marketing PartnerGovernment library service that has supported the MASH Foundation's book donation and literacy initiatives.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• buildOn: Builds schools and delivers adult literacy programs in developing countries; overlaps with MASH in bottom-up community education focus, though at significantly larger geographic scale.
• WE Charity: Large international youth-focused charity operating school-building and sponsorship programs, with similar volunteer-driven engagement and global donor base, though at vastly greater scale.
• Room to Read: Large global literacy and girls' education nonprofit operating across multiple developing countries; a much larger incumbent addressing overlapping problems of school libraries and educational access.

Direct peers

• Books For Africa: Collects and ships donated books to African schools and libraries; closely mirrors MASH's book drive pipeline, including corporate logistics partners like DHL and school-driven donation drives.
• Sub-Saharan Africa Education Fund (SSAEF): Small charity focused on improving educational access for disadvantaged children in sub-Saharan Africa, including Kenya; comparable beneficiary population, sponsorship-based funding, and small-team operating model.
• Libraries Without Borders: International nonprofit deploying library and educational resource programs in low-resource settings; comparable mission of bringing books, ICT, and learning support to underserved children and youth.
• Camfed (Campaign for Female Education): Funds education for marginalized children in sub-Saharan Africa through sponsorship and community programs; directly comparable in geography, beneficiary profile, and school-fee sponsorship model.
• African Library Project: Small US-based nonprofit that establishes small libraries in African schools, very similar to MASH's satellite school library model serving under-resourced primary and secondary schools in rural communities.
• Library For All: Builds digital and physical library access for underserved communities in developing countries, with comparable target population (children and youth) and literacy-first mission similar to MASH's resource centre.

Regional players

• African Library and Information Associations (AfLIA): Continental association supporting library development across Africa; adjacent ecosystem player that MASH's library operations intersect with regionally, though not a direct fundraiser or operator.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/mashfoundation
• Facebookfacebook.com/mashfoundationtrust
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mash-foundation-trust

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Mash Foundation Trust