Kitechild is a 501©3 non-profit organization transforming the lives of orphaned children through sustainable micro-projects. The organization partners with orphanage homes that are struggling to provide adequate care for their children, and develops micro-projects targeting critical needs such as food security, access to education, and quality of care. Kitechild's overall mission is to improve the quality of life for children who have no recourse but to live in an orphanage, through access to education, healthcare, and loving caregivers.
The organization was founded in March 2010 by two UCLA graduates seeking to raise awareness on the poor living conditions for children residing in orphanages, and provide tangible calls to action to supporters through project based change. The website officially launched to the public in December 2010.
Examples of current and past projects include chicken coops, solar panel installations, pig farms, tilapia farms, and the building of schools, all within the context of orphanages where orphan and vulnerable children reside. The organization employs crowdfunding through their website to fund the cost of each project, from raw material, labor, maintenance, and monitoring. In each country where Kitechild operates, a local liaison is employed to monitor and evaluate the projects and report progress/issues back to the organization.
Projects normally reduce operating costs for the home, or generate income, and these funds are also reallocated towards improving the quality of life for the children. In 2010, Kitechild’s first project funded a CPR and first aide training for orphanage staff through the Kenyan red cross. Other notable projects include water filters in Nairobi homes providing clean water access to over 200 children, and a Tilapia farm in Honduras producing healthy protein and veggies for the children, which the orphanage could not afford otherwise.
Kitechild is currently partnered with Google One Today, a crowdfunding mobile app for non-profits.