"Keeping adolescent girls in school might be the most effective thing we can do to imporve the human condition. I am proud that we are leading the way." - Melissa Prandi
"Keeping adolescent girls in school might be the most effective thing we can do to imporve the human condition. I am proud that we are leading the way." - Melissa Prandi
2024 is off to a great start
We're thrilled to announce that 2024 is off to a great start for MPCF. We currently have 159 children enrolled and fully engaged full time in boarding school and are grateful for the financial support to continue this important work. We're proud of our two university graduates, Angella who is 23 years old and Martha who is 24. Angella is working full time and very appreciative of all the support she has received from MPCF. She is the charter president of the brand new Rotaract club in Uganda. Martha graduated at the end of 2023 and looks forward to sustainable and productive professional growth. Jamal will be graduating in March as a dental surgeon. We also have three more students who will be graduating college this year, an accomplishment which would have never been possible without our sponsorship and support. 4 more young adults will be entering university this August. We set a big goal to provide hygiene kits and education to 8,000 girls this year and are well on our way with 1,675 thus far.
Our female empowerment microloan program has also expanded this year to include a 3rd group of business owners. The first group have paid back their loan in full on time and helped mentor the other two. What a powerful example of community!
Our community sewing center continues to do tremendous work, significantly increasing the numbers of hygiene kits produced and empowering us to more easily distribute them to more girls and young women in the community.
We look forward to seeing many more successes this year and sharing the good news along the way.
Melissa Prandi Interview March 2024
Below is a 11 minute video interview on the “Marinterviews” podcast which showcases people and nonprofits making a difference in Marin County, California.
2023 was an impactful year for our foundation.
Students Sponsored in 2023
161 Ugandan students enrolled in school at the primary and secondary levels. Tuition, room and board, and supplies were fully funded.
6 Ugandan students enrolled full-time in local universities. First university graduate (February 2023) with a bachelor’s degree in science and biotechnology and a second student graduated with a bachelor’s degree in business administration (October 2023).
Funded Instruments and costumes for youth musicians and dancers for Heart of Dance African Rhythms.
Food and necessities donated provided to 21 families in dire need in Kabalagala, Luwero and Nsambya villages.
Vocational Training: 15 young mothers and underprivileged youth received technical skills training in landscaping, knitting and tailoring in our vocational schools.
Microloans: Female empowerment through microloans to three groups of women, for businesses including brick-laying, chicken and duck rearing, a retail shop, a beauty shop, a mushroom farm, and a cosmetics shop. The first recipient is mentoring the other two groups.
Hygiene Kits: We distributed 4,000 hygiene kits to teens and young women along with hygiene and health education instruction.
We opened our first certified Sewing Center in Nsawo village making hygiene kits. Our kits are now made by the community for 1/2 the cost of purchasing from a 3rd party.
Fundraising & Volunteers: 5 visitors participated in “Service and Safari for the Soul”, intensive cross-cultural exchanges, in-depth service work and a 3-day safari.
Raised money at Melissa Prandi’s birthday fundraiser event.
Partner Profile Action for Change
2023
The Global Uplift Project Newsletter
The MPCF was founded by Rotarian Melissa Prandi in late 2021 in partnership with Rotarians from Kampala, Uganda and San Rafael, California. The Foundation has worked to provide 160 full scholarships to educate Ugandan youth at the primary, secondary, and university levels; brought food and needed home goods to those in the poorest Ugandan neighborhoods; and provided funding and materials to nursery schools, health clinics, and orphanages.
The MPCF strives to create a community of children with unlimited possibilities and ensure that the orphans and vulnerable children are in better standards of living. They work to empower young mothers in economic development programs like Husbandry, Vocational Skills, Animal Keeping and Modern Agriculture.
They are committed to turning around the lives of homeless children and young mothers in Uganda. Their work helps and protects young mothers, orphans & vulnerable children from being exploited (where their only option is being house girls & boys or work as child laborers)
Collaboration Keeps Girls In School
2023
Giving Marin Magazine
According to UNICEF, more than 20 million adolescent girls drop out of school every year because they cannot manage their menstrual period. The Global Uplift Project and the Marin-based Melissa Prandi Children Foundation are working to help thousands of adolescent girls in Uganda facing this challenge.
SAFARI NIGHTS BENEFIT RAISES $100K
Giving Marin Magazine
By: Sara Briscoe Moseley December 22, 2022
Melissa Prandi Children Foundation, a nonprofit organization founded in 2021 by Kampala and California-based Rotarians, seeks to transform living conditions in Uganda’s poorest slum areas.
Founder Melissa Prandi celebrated with a Safari Nights gala on Dec. 3 at Osher Community Center. Three board members from Kampala came to support the event, Chairman Mike Kironde, Aaron Bukenya and Francis Ntangazza.
“My heart is so full. So many friends and Rotarians came out to help raise money at our Safari Nights fundraiser to transform living conditions in Kampala’s poorest slum areas by empowering the children, youth and young women through education, better health services and economic independence programs,” Prandi said. “Education is the key to success and changing lives forever.”
Two large duffle bags of books from the Global Book Exchange in Marin will kick-start a mobile library in Uganda.
GLOBAL BOOK EXCHANGE MAKES IMPACT IN UGANDA
Giving Marin Magazine
By: Sara Briscoe Moseley October 13, 2022
After seeing a recent Giving Marin feature about the Global Book Exchange, program Sponsor Melissa Prandi, founder of The Melissa Prandi Children Foundation, wanted to help. She teamed up with Global Book Exchange and delivered two large duffle bags of books to Uganda in September.
“These initiatives to support our community are very much needed,” said Nassar Manm of the foundation in Uganda.