One laptop, one chance – and a story that won't let us go

Kumbuka Masitchwe fled the Congo at the age of 15 – without his parents, together with his siblings, into one of the largest refugee camps in the world: the Kalobeyei Settlement in northwestern Kenya, part of the Kakuma Camp. What would have broken others spurred him on. At a young age, he founded his own NGO there, Hope of the Hopeless, which today provides 30 orphans and children from the most difficult circumstances with meals, education, digital learning programs, and psychological support.

Kumbuka Masitchwe and Claude Jonkmans

Kumbuka found us through LinkedIn – he had read about our IDEA project and asked whether we could send him laptops for his project. Sending laptops to Kenya is unfortunately anything but simple: customs, bureaucracy, and shipping costs make it virtually impossible in many countries. But then came a fortunate coincidence: Andreas came across Claude Jonkmans from EmpowerVan, an organization that offers sports and self-defense courses for women in refugee camps – and which was just on its way to Kenya, to that very camp. Claude picked up the laptop personally from our Athens office and handed it directly to Kumbuka.

What impressed us about Kumbuka from the very beginning: he learns incredibly fast and approaches every obstacle with an energy and creativity that never ceases to amaze us. With the laptop, he built the website for his organization in no time at all.

Kumbuka Masitchwe currently provides 30 children with meals, tuition, digital learning programmes and psychological support through his NGO Hope of the Hopeless (HOPE)

Kumbuka teaches children how to use a laptop

Kumbuka Masitchwe (third from left) and his team from Hope of the Hopeless with Claude Jonkmans (fourth from left) and Tatjana Brandner (far right) from EmpowerVan, alongside local partners.

But the story continues. We brought Kumbuka's attention to Kanthari – the Change Maker University in southern India, where people from around the world learn to professionally build and expand their dream projects in the non-profit sector. He applied immediately. From hundreds of applications, 25 participants were selected – Kumbuka is one of them. We congratulate him and have taken on the necessary commitments so that he can apply for his visa and begin the program, and we are providing the required deposit.

At Kanthari Change Maker University, Kumbuka will learn how to set up and expand his project professionally. We are providing him with financial and organisational support to help him do this.

This is exactly what we believe in: change in African countries cannot come from the outside – it must be initiated and carried by people like Kumbuka. When he returns to Kenya after a year at Kanthari University, he will be able to take his project to a whole new level, and a great many people will benefit from it.

GoFundMe for HOPE Project