Foundation

The Mkuyu Ilenga Foundation supports the life-changing work of Mkuyu Guide School. Founded in 2025, it aims to expand the School's capacity to break the cycle of intergenerational poverty by preparing Tanzanian youth for careers in nature-based tourism.

Mkuyu ilenga translates “aspire to the Sycamore fig.”

An iconic species in the savanna, Ficus sycomorus trees shelter and nourish countless animals through the long dry season with their spreading canopy and abundant fruit. This is the kind of transformational impact that many Mkuyu Guide School graduates have in their communities as they advance their careers. But students often face financial or social barriers to enrolling or remaining in school.

Mkuyu accepts students as young as 11 years old, creating a safety net in a country where many parents can’t afford to send their children to secondary school. Youth too often end up on the streets. Girls are at risk for child marriage or domestic service. The School’s founder is committed to making life-changing education accessible to more Tanzanian youth, even if that means waiving living or tuition expenses. As a result, the School has struggled to keep pace with demand and to invest in critical infrastructure to support a growing student population. 

You can empower Mkuyu Guide School’s growth through a gift to the Mkuyu Ilenga Foundation.

The Foundation's fundraising priorities are dynamic, evolving as the School and its needs evolve. In 2026, the Foundation is kicking-off a multi-year campaign with three focal areas of investment:

• Student Hardship Fund: to cover shortfalls in room, board, and tuition payments for disadvantaged students 

• Operations & Infrastructure: to install a well, filtration system, and storage tanks for clean drinking water; renovate student latrines to improve sanitation and hygiene; and connect the camp to the electric grid for reliable power supply, ensuring water access and expanding classroom education hours 

• Program Support: to effectively prepare students for the modern safari workforce by building a game drive training program, and introducing an annual trip to a national park for experiential learning and networking with safari operators 

Please download the 2026 information card for more information.

Tanzania: Gifts may be made directly to the Mkuyu Ilenga Foundation, a registered Tanzanian Non-Governmental Organization. Please contact Director Leonard Fidelis at WhatsApp +255 758 656 791 for giving options and a donation receipt.

United Kingdom: Gifts may be made through the Kusini Fund, a registered UK nonprofit organization. Please contact Director Paul Tickner for giving options and a donation receipt. All donations are tax-deductible to the maximum extent permitted by law. 

United States: Gifts may be made through the PAMS Foundation, a registered US nonprofit organization. Please contact the Foundation for instructions and a mailing address for checks. All donations are tax-deductible to the maximum extent permitted by law.