This is our office

This is where I work from, my bed is the desk and the stool I usually keep my books on is my seat. What can I say? You have to start somewhere ;) right?

Clearly, I cannot call for a meeting with my volunteers team in my room so I have to get creative. If I need to meet them, it will either be at their office or at ihub, which is not so far from where I live. That's free space with free Wi-Fi. If it's in town, it will probably be at Cafe Deli but luckily, they usually pay for the water for me and coffee for them. By the way, I prefer sparkling water to coffee or tea any day. Have you tried it?

This is Mdada 2015, hopefully we'll move into some kind of office one day. I think I'll have an office warming party ;)

Y'all be good.

Blessings,

L

We're Giving Back To You!

We're Giving Back to You!

As a token of our appreciation, you will receive something to remember our girls by.

We will send all our supporters thank you notes from the girl supported as well as her picture. Any amount you give is highly appreciated.

You will receive a customized bracelet with your name on it for any contribution between Ksh 250-1,999 ($3-$20)

For a contribution of between Ksh 2000-9,999 ($21-$100) you will receive this T-shirt. Not to worry gentlemen, because we do have a Men's version of this t-shirt :)

For contributions of above Ksh 10,000+ ($120+) you will receive either one of these cool jackets with Mdada labelling by one of our partner Kenyan designers House of Dishol




Together in changing the world and Kenya :)

Best regards,

Lila  & the Mdada team
#keepagirlinschool
Twitter: @mdadaforgirls
Facebook Page: Mdada
Instagram: @mdadaforgirls

For more info about the Founder Ms Lila Kiwelu and Mdada, please look at my LinkedIn Account here and our website

Info about collection/delivery of items: The bracelets and T-shirts can be collected from Nairobi CBD during the week. The jackets will be delivered to your office or home for Nairobi residents.  It will take approximately 14 days for the jackets to be sent to you from the time you make your contribution. For our supporters outside Nairobi and/or Kenya, we will contact you to make postage arrangements at your cost.

It was an honor for Mdada to be selected by Spark* International, as one of Kenya's changemakers in 2015.

Santack Estate, Ngong Rd, Nairobi, Kenya

+254717832311

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The Challenges in Mdada

We all have ups and downs in life in both our personal and professional lives. Mdada has definitely had its share. As a start up trying to build a sustainable business as well as have an impact in the society, it has not been an easy task. There are times I question if I'm actually doing the right thing in terms of my business model. Most people working to solve the problem of lack of school fees are either NGOs or Foundations which makes sense because it would take a lot of sales to happen to pay school fees for one girl for just one term, particularly if the product is costing Ksh 1000 or less. Whereas NGOs and Foundations can collect donations of any amount which allows them to impact more girls.  For Mdada we chose not to be an NGO because we believe that businesses are more sustainable than donations. We also wanted to give individuals an opportunity to be a part of this beautiful cause through purchase of products. Perhaps T-shirts may not be the product to get us to where we want to be as far as impact is concerned, but we're working on that and great things are coming soon.

Other challenges we've had like most startups include:

1. Lack of capital- I've been selling stickers and scarves from office to office just to generate capital to start my T-shirt line and also contribute something to the girls' school fees.
2. Lack of transparent systems in the schools we partner with- it's difficult to get accurate information about a girls' school fees because the schools are lacking in a proper accounting system and sometimes it could be that there's a shortfall in integrity. We are looking at implementing better systems to avoid such problems.
3. Finding business partners- we have tried to partner with businesses who can either sell our products or help us fundraise but that has been quite challenging. 
4. Sustaining the entrepreneur- as a young person trying to build a business, it's quite tough with a tight budget. It's so hard to do what you want when you're trying to figure out how your bills will get paid. 

The good thing is that Mdada has a great support team. The people who encourage me to keep going and give me ideas and support when needed. I guess, this is what keeps Mdada going together with prayers. I really believe that this is my calling and it we will prosper. I just hope this changes sooner rather than later!

Bless,

L

This is the Mdada Team

I'm so grateful to have a supportive team behind me.

I got so much love for this group of smart,talented and beautiful people. A team is a necessity, not a luxury. God bless each one of them!


Love,
L

Thank You!

Thank You!

This is just to thank you for your support towards our girls. Whether you bought a sticker, a scarf or a t-shirt, you made a contribution and helped them stay in school. We really appreciate your generosity. We thought it would be great for you to see  the thank you note written by one of our girls (Mitchell). All the girls are now in school and focused on their studies. Maureen and Faith are in their final years of school, Maureen in her 4th year of secondary school and Faith in class 8. Mitchell is in Form 3 and Janet, our youngest is in class 7.

You can continue supporting us if you like. We have lovely custom made gifts for Valentine's Day going for Ksh 250 for a customized e-card to Ksh 1200 for a customized mug. Check out our images below. Simply tell us how you met that special person in your life and send us your pictures via whatsapp (+254717832311) or email lila@mdadaforgirls.com and we'll do the rest :)

Thank you so much.

Have a lovely day!

Mdada

Santack Estate, Ngong Rd, Nairobi, Kenya

+254717832311

 

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Being one of Kenya's changemakers 2015

I think it was around November, 2014 when I saw on Amani Institute's twitter handle about an organization seeking social entrepreneurs to support. I applied and didn't quite think I would get through because I hadn't really started making an impact in terms of the number of girls whose school fees I'd helped pay. I'd sold some stuff and at the time it was just stickers and scarves, but not enough to make a meaningful contribution. I'm not even making any money out of this to cover my own bills! My savings are quickly running out. Long story short, in Jan I was selected. We were 18 social entrepreneurs from all over Kenya.  Basically we were going to get free training on running a social enterprise, logo and website creation if you needed it. Legal support and $250 to test your ideas/register your business as a company.

I really appreciated this opportunity because it was like an indication to me that I was on the right path. I met some brilliant people doing amazing things and even made a few friends who I've been in touch with ever since. My favorite is this guy called Mapesa, he's looking to have digital villages across the country to bridge the digital divide. This guy is consumed by his idea. He never talks about anything else and that is why I like him. I like people who are passionate about what they're doing. Another one was a lady called Teresa Njoroge who was falsely incarcerated when working at the bank and now she started her enterprise to support women  get jobs when they leave the prisons. She has won several awards and I just admire her. When I grow up.....lol

                                         (i'm second from left, standing)

However,  it was also tough for me and draining at some point. I had to REALLY THINK about what I was doing and see whether it was the right path to take. We needed to come up with 100 ideas of solving the problem we're trying to solve. For me it was paying school fees for girls in high school. As we speak, I'm pivoting my ideas and big things are coming soon.  I feel like I'm on the right path.

It was also difficult because of the group dynamics in the sense that sometimes you get into a place and sense that there is some tension especially among women and some guys too! Some people try to make you feel less than good in subtle ways which makes no sense at all to me. We're not even working in the same industry to say that we're competitors! I just thought it was stupid but I shook them off Taylor Swift style;). I have significant experience with haters ;) who are sometimes even seniors to me! It's crazy!!! It's as if they want you to break. Some sadistic types. You see, the thing is, my confidence has grown over the years and I have learnt to project myself with confidence around people.  Some people may take it as arrogance which I believe is actually a reflection of their own insecurities, and because they don't know how far I've come. They have no clue about the pain and rejection  I've had to go through to develop this thick skin. They probably imagine it's been all roses and candies for me. My battles deserve a book and maybe one day I will put them in a book. For now I'll just say,  I believe in God, myself and in my calling. I'm definitely not perfect and I don't even want to be. A lot of things happened that I wouldn't want to discuss in depth in my blog because I'm moving on and plus it's just embarrassing to see what massive egos can make people resort to. I have a purpose to fulfill dammit, so I choose to FOCUS. I believe in respect for others and uplifting those around me because I believe in doing that, I'm sowing a good seed that I will one day reap. You know what they say about Karma. However, I withdraw from those who don't want to share the love. They'd rather just be haters. I tend to have a good judgement of character and I know it doesn't matter what level of success you have, whether you are a CEO or a gardener, if you have no character and if you're the kind of person to delight in seeing others in misery, you're dead to me (like Kevin O. Leary says it, Shark Tank fans you know what I mean :)).

Okay, clearly I needed to let this off my chest. To my readers, I want to encourage you and remind you that no one fights losers, and if no one's talking about you then you're probably not making an impact. Be strong, even Jesus had haters ;)

Tip: Listen to good music. My favorite is Divine Sorrow by Wycleaf Jean ft Chidinma, Shaa et al and Elani songs. Also, surround yourself with quality people (QP), the kind who support you and can also be critical with you. But be very careful, some people only support you because they're being politically correct when in a group. Learn the difference. If you haven't found QP keep searching, you will find them and most importantly BE ONE.


Blessings,
Lila