Our Partners
How do we get funding?
Our support comes from volunteers, individuals and institutions both locally and abroad.
Volunteer monthly contributions
We have 6700 volunteers from our catchment communities who contribute a monthly minimum amount of 10 cents through their respective village committees. The monies collected are used to support the primary school learners and orphans feeding program, Othakarhaka tree nurseries and Gender Based Violence campaigns
Dr. Marquita Hill and Dr. Don Lightfoot
Marquita Hill and Don Lightfoot (retired professors from Virginia tech) formed a trust to fund Othakarhaka core programs in 2012. Over the years, they have been supporting Othakarhaka’s key interventions such as sustainable agriculture and agroforestry, education scholarship, family planning, community library and covering some of administrative expenses.
Bert Clack of K2 Foundation from Canada
Since 2017, K2-foundation has been supporting Othakarhaka foundation with funding on our public health project. The K2 foundation also sponsored the construction of the modern office complex and a community clinic, bought a van as well as hiring a medical assistant and a registered nurse for our clinic.
University Of Michigan Ross school of Business
From 2018, Othakarhaka foundation has been partnering with University of Michigan Ross school of Business on their Multidisciplinary Action Project. The University sends its Executive MBA students and Fulltime MBA students twice a year (in March and in October) to work with Othakarhaka by identifying a specific focus area of our programming to help in finding a strategy and business solution on that.
I Demand Access (IDA) Board
Following the formation of I Demand Access in 2019, The board has supported over 500 girls through secondary school and tertiary education scholarships, meeting operational and administrative expenses and providing other resources for girl’s education such as bicycles to girls walking long distances to school and extra support to other OTK programs like agriculture etc.
The Groh’s Family Trust
Agness Grohs and her family trust has been supporting OTK through I Demand access since the year 2020 and are working with Othakarhaka in sponsoring girls enrolled on OTK college scholarship and are currently studying in different public Universities here in Malawi.
Plan International
Othakarhaka foundation is in its second year (from 2022) of executing the community managed sponsorship project in the area of senior chief Nkanda and traditional authority Juma in Mulanje district with support from Plan International. The project is primary centred at managing and overseeing the group of volunteers who are supervising over 3000 under 18 years old children from the two mentioned areas on their general welfare, with special focus on their education and health as they are transiting.
Ron Weiser Trust
Ron Weiser trust has been a strategic but silent supporter of Othakarhaka foundation since 2018. The grants from the trust were indirectly getting to the OTK through Ross school of Business of the University of Michigan. In 2022, Ron Weiser trust sponsored a million plus tree planting initiative as well as sponsoring post-cyclone Fredy agricultural relief project with the aim of ensuring food security of the cyclone survivors from 14 villages.
Sofie Roux
In 2022, an 18 years old Sofie Roux, surprised Othakarhaka foundation when she made a donation of a solar powered mobile computer lab called a ‘Boombox’ which has different facilities such as 20 laptops, a modern printer, projector and a free community hotspot called Rachel server which allows over 2000 students from near-by secondary schools to access academic materials through the system.
Flintridge Preparatory School
The Flintridge school first partnered with Othakarhaka on the Girls Art and Empowerment Camp project in 2017. Since then, Flintridge school has been sponsoring teachers from the school under the leadership of Miss Hillary Thomas in hosting girls Art Empowerment camp every summer of the year.
International Development Institute, IDI
In 2023, IDI started working with Othakarhaka on different projects such as building houses for some Mulanje residents who lost their homes during the most recent cyclone storm, providing clean and safe drinking water to the communities of Southern Malawi through the installation of water purification systems in public schools, public health institutions and in other community gathering locations. IDI has also purchased a pickup truck for OTK to use especially on transporting building supplies on housing project.
Passing on the Kindness Scholarship fund
Founded by two University of Michigan MBA students Akbar Arsiwala and Rahul Naik in the year 2023, the Passing on the kindness fund support three medical students on Othakarhaka scholarship program. The fund has also donated medical supplies to the Othakarhaka community clinic.
Immaculate heart community
In September, 2023, the Immaculate heart community of California in the United States of America extended their support of educating girls in Mulanje (Malawi) in secondary school and in the tertiary institutions of Malawi. Immaculate heart community is channelling their funding through I Demand Access.
Borchard Foundation
Through I Demand Access, The Borchard foundation will be supporting some of our girls who are currently studying in different technical colleges in Malawi.
Anonymous Partners
Othakarhaka Foundation also works with a number of partners who have chosen to remain anonymous.
Other Partners that have supported Othakarhaka
- Nestle headquarters
- Dr Mohammed Arsiwala and Health, education, Life and Progress (HELP) Foundation
- Missoula International School
- EKAM USA (Archana Kartik)
- Peacework international
- Christine Kipp
- Dr Arnecke
- Lorna Johnson
- Jason and Melissa Lindsay
- Laurie Hunter
- Gwen DeCoste and the OAK elementary school
- Mark Haris
- Explore USA
- Dr Sue Makin,
- Don Miller
- Patricia Fortlage