OUR TRUSTEES
OUR VISION
Our vision is bold but simple: to restore dignity, unlock potential, and build a future where no one is forgotten.
Lisa ....
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A bit about background
A bit about motivations etc
A bit about background
A bit about motivations etc
Patricia Carole MacBride (Carole)
Carole, well known as 'Teacher Carole', is a retired community pharmacist and a long-time volunteer within her local church community. She first became involved with Ubuntu Africa in April 2023 after reading about Courtney’s work on a local Facebook page and arranging to meet in person.
Initially hoping to assist with fundraising, Carole’s involvement quickly became hands-on. During her first visits to the original school in Ngando, she shared her practical skills in knitting and sewing with older learners and supported teachers by supervising and marking practice exam papers.
Deeply moved by the resilience and warmth of the community after her first two trips, Carole returned to Ngando for a third visit - this time bringing her two grandsons, aged 17 and 14, to experience first-hand the challenges and remarkable spirit of education in an area of extreme poverty.
When the decision was made to establish Ubuntu Africa as a registered charity, Carole was honoured to become one of the three founding trustees. She continues to play an active role in guiding the charity’s mission and supporting sustainable change for children and families in Ngando.
Initially hoping to assist with fundraising, Carole’s involvement quickly became hands-on. During her first visits to the original school in Ngando, she shared her practical skills in knitting and sewing with older learners and supported teachers by supervising and marking practice exam papers.
Deeply moved by the resilience and warmth of the community after her first two trips, Carole returned to Ngando for a third visit - this time bringing her two grandsons, aged 17 and 14, to experience first-hand the challenges and remarkable spirit of education in an area of extreme poverty.
When the decision was made to establish Ubuntu Africa as a registered charity, Carole was honoured to become one of the three founding trustees. She continues to play an active role in guiding the charity’s mission and supporting sustainable change for children and families in Ngando.
Courtney Macdonald
Although Ubuntu Africa was officially founded in 2025, Courtney’s work in Kenya began years earlier. Since 2020, she has been running projects on the ground in the Ngando community, focusing on education, health, and empowerment for vulnerable children and families.
A psychology graduate with a background in the third sector, Courtney has dedicated her career to supporting others. From refugee casework with the British Red Cross to childcare, working for various charities at home in Scotland, and therapeutic services for young people with disabilities, advocacy has always been at the heart of her work. Her lifelong passion for travel and working with children naturally came together through Ubuntu Africa.
Courtney’s journey began in 2015 when she first travelled to South Africa to volunteer in local schools and orphanages, an experience that crystallised her vision to dedicate her life to meaningful, community-led change. In 2020, upon arriving in Kenya and meeting Juliet, the Director of Safe Haven, as well as the children of Ngando, she saw a powerful opportunity to make a lasting difference.
What began as a short visit quickly became a life-changing calling. Confronted with the harsh realities of extreme poverty and vulnerability, Courtney was deeply moved by the strength and spirit of the Ngando community. She began documenting their stories through photography, social media, and advocacy and soon after, started leading volunteer groups to support the school and its children.
Over the years, Courtney has helped relocate and rebuild a primary school, provide hundreds of children with access to quality education, daily meals, medical care, dental hygiene kits, menstrual products, school supplies, and school sponsorships. Her compassion, determination, and close connection with the community have earned her the affectionate nickname “Auntie Coco” among the children and teachers at Safe Haven.
For Courtney, registering Ubuntu Africa as a Scottish charity marks not a beginning, but a continuation, a bold new chapter in a story of hope, resilience, and the belief that every child deserves the opportunity to learn, grow, and thrive.
A psychology graduate with a background in the third sector, Courtney has dedicated her career to supporting others. From refugee casework with the British Red Cross to childcare, working for various charities at home in Scotland, and therapeutic services for young people with disabilities, advocacy has always been at the heart of her work. Her lifelong passion for travel and working with children naturally came together through Ubuntu Africa.
Courtney’s journey began in 2015 when she first travelled to South Africa to volunteer in local schools and orphanages, an experience that crystallised her vision to dedicate her life to meaningful, community-led change. In 2020, upon arriving in Kenya and meeting Juliet, the Director of Safe Haven, as well as the children of Ngando, she saw a powerful opportunity to make a lasting difference.
What began as a short visit quickly became a life-changing calling. Confronted with the harsh realities of extreme poverty and vulnerability, Courtney was deeply moved by the strength and spirit of the Ngando community. She began documenting their stories through photography, social media, and advocacy and soon after, started leading volunteer groups to support the school and its children.
Over the years, Courtney has helped relocate and rebuild a primary school, provide hundreds of children with access to quality education, daily meals, medical care, dental hygiene kits, menstrual products, school supplies, and school sponsorships. Her compassion, determination, and close connection with the community have earned her the affectionate nickname “Auntie Coco” among the children and teachers at Safe Haven.
For Courtney, registering Ubuntu Africa as a Scottish charity marks not a beginning, but a continuation, a bold new chapter in a story of hope, resilience, and the belief that every child deserves the opportunity to learn, grow, and thrive.
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read case study
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read case studyWHY UBUNTU AFRICA?
Our name is inspired by the African philosophy of Ubuntu—a profound concept meaning “I am because we are.” It speaks to the very essence of humanity: that our identities are inseparable from our relationships with others, and that community is the foundation of a just and compassionate society. Ubuntu is about more than kindness; it’s about shared responsibility. It calls us to treat one another with respect, empathy, and dignity, and to uphold the values and standards that protect and uplift our communities.
This belief sits at the heart of everything we do. In Ngando, we’ve witnessed the power of collective action—how one child’s education can inspire an entire family, how feeding a student brings hope to a household, and how restoring dignity to one mother strengthens a neighbourhood. We are not working for the community we are working with it, guided by Ubuntu’s core truth: that our humanity is bound together. Ubuntu Africa exists because we believe that true transformation happens when every voice is heard and every life is valued.
This belief sits at the heart of everything we do. In Ngando, we’ve witnessed the power of collective action—how one child’s education can inspire an entire family, how feeding a student brings hope to a household, and how restoring dignity to one mother strengthens a neighbourhood. We are not working for the community we are working with it, guided by Ubuntu’s core truth: that our humanity is bound together. Ubuntu Africa exists because we believe that true transformation happens when every voice is heard and every life is valued.
OUR STORY
Although Ubuntu Africa was officially founded in 2025, the heart of this work began with a single step into the Ngando slum in 2020 just before the world shut down.
What began as a visit quickly became a life-changing calling. I found myself face to face with the brutal realities of extreme poverty witnessing the daily hardship, poverty, and vulnerability in this community, I couldn’t look away. What I saw broke my heart but ignited a fire I couldn’t ignore.
Children were attending school in crumbling structures, without food in their stomachs or shoes on their feet. These weren’t just statistics. They were real children, with names, dreams, and untapped potential. Families lived in unsafe, overcrowded conditions, struggling to meet even their most basic needs. I began documenting what I saw through photography, storytelling, social media, and eventually by bringing volunteer groups directly to Ngando to see it for themselves. Seeing it is one thing. Standing in it changes you forever.
The response was immediate and powerful. People from across the world reached out, donated, stood with us—and slowly, we began to change lives. It didn’t take millions, it took movement and we became one. Over the past six years, through sheer determination and community support, we’ve helped relocate and rebuild a primary school, provided hundreds of children with access to quality education, daily meals, medical care, dental hygiene kits, menstrual products, school supplies, junior school sponsorships and more.
We’ve created safe spaces where children who once felt forgotten could learn, grow, and dare to dream. We’ve restored dignity to families who had spent too long surviving in silence. And all of this has been achieved without formal charity status—driven by belief, compassion, and a strong community of volunteers and supporters who refused to turn away.
As the impact grew, so did the responsibility and the vision. We came to understand that true, lasting change doesn’t happen in isolation. Investing in just the children isn’t enough if they return home to hunger, hopelessness, and parents without opportunity then the cycle of poverty continues. That’s why our mission is expanding beyond the school gates. Ubuntu Africa is no longer just about helping children survive; it’s about building a community where everyone can thrive. Now, we are registering Ubuntu Africa as a Scottish charity not as a beginning, but as a bold new chapter. This step will allow us to deepen our roots, increase accountability, attract long-term funding, and scale our impact with sustainability at the core.
What began as a visit quickly became a life-changing calling. I found myself face to face with the brutal realities of extreme poverty witnessing the daily hardship, poverty, and vulnerability in this community, I couldn’t look away. What I saw broke my heart but ignited a fire I couldn’t ignore.
Children were attending school in crumbling structures, without food in their stomachs or shoes on their feet. These weren’t just statistics. They were real children, with names, dreams, and untapped potential. Families lived in unsafe, overcrowded conditions, struggling to meet even their most basic needs. I began documenting what I saw through photography, storytelling, social media, and eventually by bringing volunteer groups directly to Ngando to see it for themselves. Seeing it is one thing. Standing in it changes you forever.
The response was immediate and powerful. People from across the world reached out, donated, stood with us—and slowly, we began to change lives. It didn’t take millions, it took movement and we became one. Over the past six years, through sheer determination and community support, we’ve helped relocate and rebuild a primary school, provided hundreds of children with access to quality education, daily meals, medical care, dental hygiene kits, menstrual products, school supplies, junior school sponsorships and more.
We’ve created safe spaces where children who once felt forgotten could learn, grow, and dare to dream. We’ve restored dignity to families who had spent too long surviving in silence. And all of this has been achieved without formal charity status—driven by belief, compassion, and a strong community of volunteers and supporters who refused to turn away.
As the impact grew, so did the responsibility and the vision. We came to understand that true, lasting change doesn’t happen in isolation. Investing in just the children isn’t enough if they return home to hunger, hopelessness, and parents without opportunity then the cycle of poverty continues. That’s why our mission is expanding beyond the school gates. Ubuntu Africa is no longer just about helping children survive; it’s about building a community where everyone can thrive. Now, we are registering Ubuntu Africa as a Scottish charity not as a beginning, but as a bold new chapter. This step will allow us to deepen our roots, increase accountability, attract long-term funding, and scale our impact with sustainability at the core.
HOW YOU CAN HELP
In November of 2025 we will be building Safe Haven Education and Community Centre and opening our doors in January 2026.
All the work we’ve been doing will continue: education, healthcare, nutrition, hygiene support and distribution of aid but we’re adding even more: skills workshops for parents, access to computers and adult education, vocational training, and a vision for a safe community hub that empowers entire families.
We’ve come so far but this is only the beginning. Ubuntu means “I am because we are,” and now more than ever, we need each other to create real, lasting change. We’ve laid the foundation, now we’re building something that lasts - because every child deserves more than survival. They deserve a future and so do the families who raise them. Its not just charity, its shared humanity.
All the work we’ve been doing will continue: education, healthcare, nutrition, hygiene support and distribution of aid but we’re adding even more: skills workshops for parents, access to computers and adult education, vocational training, and a vision for a safe community hub that empowers entire families.
We’ve come so far but this is only the beginning. Ubuntu means “I am because we are,” and now more than ever, we need each other to create real, lasting change. We’ve laid the foundation, now we’re building something that lasts - because every child deserves more than survival. They deserve a future and so do the families who raise them. Its not just charity, its shared humanity.
Donate Items
We always welcome the donation of vital items that keep our students happy, safe & healthy
Donate Money
Whether you can spare a few pounds or a hundred, every penny helps us deliver Safe Haven
Fundraise
From sponsorship to fundraising events and activities - we can support you to help us raise vital funds
Volunteer
A unique opportunity to work directly alongside our team in the heart of Ngando, Nairobi
Ubuntu Africa (UK), Charity Registration #: ................. , Registered Address .............................
(C) Ubuntu Africa 2025