Mubaku Educational Foundation

Mubaku Educational Foundation (MEF) is a California non-profit corporation that has been recognized by the IRS as a tax-exempt 501(c)3 organization (#83-3206945). 100% of your tax-deductible donations support the mission. The board covers all MEF’s legal and tax expenses.

Our Mission:

Mubaku Educational Foundation is founded on the belief that when we work together, we can make a positive difference in the lives of children throughout our world.  Our mission is to help support the children and their families, along with the staff of the Bright Future School in Mubaku, Uganda. To this end, we perform fundraising to support and sponsor children, support educational staff, provide materials and supplies, and build and enhance classrooms in the community of Mubaku, Uganda.

A guiding principle of MEF is to support the villagers’ decisions of their priorities for Mubaku. The village sets the direction and priorities for the school and village, and MEF raises funds to support their efforts.

Goals of Mubaku Educational Foundation:

Accomplished Goals

  1. Build and Furnish Classrooms:
    1. Built four Primary Classrooms and Teachers’ Room:  Completion September  2019.
    2. Built three Nursey Classrooms and Women’s Empowerment Center:  Completion July 2021.
    3. Built Dorm for At-Risk Students:  Completion September  2023.
  2. Sponsor Children’s Education: 147 students were sponsored by Feb. 2024.
  3. Scholarships for Secondary Education: Funds were raised to provide scholarships for four students to attend secondary education boarding school.

Current Goals

  1. Build and Furnish Third Classroom Building:  Four Classrooms and a Libary, currently under construction. Fundraising is underway.
  2. Sponsor Children’s Education: The current goal is to recruit sponsors for 175 Students—half for dormitory sponsorships.
  3. Sponsor School Administrator Salaries (Head Teacher, School Administrator, Student Sponsorship Coordinator) and support teacher training.
  4. Support Expansion of the Women’s Empowerment Center/Group and shop.
  5. Scholarships for Secondary Education: The Future goal is to raise funds to provide scholarships for secondary education for all students who qualify and desire to continue their education.
  6. Build Teacher Housing: A future goal is to raise funds to build teacher housing.
  7. Build School Kitchen: A future goal is to raise funds to build a school kitchen, supporting a coordinated meal program.

 

Fundraising is done through meetings, websites, Facebook, PayPal, GoFundMe, and other tools. The directors of Mubaku Education Foundation organize these activities, and volunteers are always appreciated.

MEF Officers:

 

No MEF officers receive compensation for their efforts.

History of  the Mubaku Educational Foundation (MEF):

August 2, 2018, Mihingo Lodge, Uganda L to R: Peter, Lisa-Ann, Charles Oyer, Gayle, and Michael

In 2018,  the founders of Mubaku Educational Foundation (Lisa-Ann Galati/Peter Roth and Michael & Gayle Hughes) decided to go to Uganda to see the mountain gorillas.  While on safari in Uganda, their guide, Charles Oyer,  asked if they wanted to see the village where he was born.  They went to the village school, which was meeting under a shade structure and had 125 kids attending with three teachers.  Over the next week, they learned more about the school. The people of Mubaku Village set up the Mubaku Community Conservation Organization (MUCCO), a not-for-profit Community-based Organization (CBO), to start the school and do other activities to help the community.  The biggest problem was that visitors from the USA and Europe had no easy way to give to the school once they got home. The only way to get money to Uganda was to wire it.  Unfortunately, the wire was both complicated, and fees consumed most small donations.  Creating the Mubaku Educational Foundation enabled people to contribute online, thereby simplifying the donation process while minimizing wire fees..

Upon their return to California, a 501(c)3 charitable non-profit corporation was started with Lisa-Ann as CEO, Gayle as Corporate Secretary, Michael as CFO, and Peter as VP of Outreach.

On March 11, 2019, the Mubaku Educational Foundation (MEF) was granted tax-exempt 501(c)3 status by the IRS. (#83-3206945) retroactive to November 2018.  MEF officers cover all required filing fees.  No charitable contributions are used for required government fees.

In November 2018, Charles Oyer traveled to the United States to hold fundraising events for the first brick building.  Events were held in the San Francisco Bay Area,  Orange,  Ventura, and Los Angeles Counties.

In February 2023, Charles Oyer again traveled to the United States to hold fundraising events for the Dormitory Construction and Student Scholarships.  Events were held in  Orange, Ventura, and Los Angeles Counties.

In March 2024, Lisa-Ann and Peter stepped down from the board due to other priorities. Their contribution since the formation of MEF has been critical to its success. They will be missed on the board. They continue to be involved in MEF as sponsors of multiple children who attend the school.

MEF Address:

Mubaku Educational Foundation
12970 Andalusia Dr.
Santa Rosa Valley, CA
93012

 

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