Mully Children’s Family is a post-modern solution to the poverty that kills our most vulnerable: children and young people. MCF is found in Kenya and has been rescuing, rehabilitating, and reintegrating the abandoned / neglected youth since 1989. The intellectual creativity behind this world-class philanthropic enterprise is both simple and complex.
In scope, vision, and scale, MCF may be one of the world’s most significant success stories of healing that runs counter to a broken world dominated by revenge, chaos, greed, and lust for power.
This is a journal written from my personal close encounters with MCF, and its founding parents: Charles and Esther Mulli. It is my intention to write in-depth narratives of the many aspects of this multi-faceted gem of modern philanthropy and humanitarian enterprise. This first entry offers a overview of what may be expected in ensuing entries.
The Mission:
MCF is overtly a Christian based philanthropic enterprise that lives within, teaches, and practices the values taught by Jesus of Nazareth such as joy, compassion, forgiveness, justice, kindness, wisdom, hard work, accountability, integrity, honesty, courage, stability, love, and spiritual humility before the Yahweh of Abraham, Moses, Jesus, and Paul. The MCF stated mission is to follow Jesus Christ in transforming lives of children, youth, and marginalized members of our society. What that means and how it is applied to MCF is a delightful set of stories of transformation from death to life, hopelessness to hope, despair to optimism amongst thousands of people.
The Founder:
Charles Mulli, was born into poverty that kills in 1949, abandoned at age 6, rehabilitated by the values of Christianity around the age of 16, became a successful well-known wealthy entrepreneur about age of forty. After careful thought and deep soul-searching, Charles sold everything that he had to start the ministry of Mully Children’s Family in 1989. He, despite advice from his family and closest friends had decided not to work for money but work, by God, for the future of Kenya by saving lives, one child at a time. Little did he know that this ministry would become the largest family in the world, having transformed, to date, some 27,000 children and youth, all rescued from the poverty that kills in the urban and rural parts of Kenya.
Charles is complex brilliant creative person who reduces the enormity of his accomplishment to simple easily accessible terms. Now the recipient of 5 honorary Doctorates, and an honorary appointment as a Professor, and numerous humanitarian awards, the story of a life living well in devout humility before God has twists and turns that has changed lives, Not only are thousands of young Kenyan lives changed from misery to the capability of making a dignified livelihood, but Prof Mulli’s choices and life has also transformed the lives of successful modern entrepreneurs of Western nations: the United States, Canada, Germany, and Australia.
The Education
MCF sees education as the most transformative powerful tool to reduce crime, drug abuse, and violence. For that reason, not only has MCF created places of education in 11 “campuses” (9 in Kenya, 2 in Tanzania) but has created a school lunch program that feeds nearly 28,000 students outside the schools of MCF which has increased attendance by a factor of 3 to 4 in 70 schools. Hungry children cannot learn.
All the campuses comprise are schools. There is MCF Lodwar of 800 students in the unproductive drought of north Kenya. MCF Ndalani (pictured) is the largest campus with nearly 1,200 students, newborns to 20 years of age. Here one will find schools for grades pre-kindergarten to 12 and vocational schools for carpentry and welding.
MCF Malindi will have its own narrative in the Mully Narratives. This campus stands tall as it specializes in educating and nurturing the spirits of pregnant teenagers and tender mothers, who, in the Mully Model, overcome unimaginable abuse to become adults capable of making a dignified living. MCF Malindi role models God’s love and transformative power breaking the cycle of poverty that kills.
In 2023, the total enrollment in the 11 campuses reached over 7,000 children and youth. Their stories are moving, compelling and show hope where there should be none.
Self-regulation
MCF has long understood that discipline cannot be instilled by physical punishment. These students have seen nothing but abuse and trauma, thereby rendering any notion of forcing discipline down their throats as counterproductive. MCF shows a much better (and not surprisingly, given the scientific literature on child development), pathway to nurturing the gift of self-regulation: the pathway of love and compassion.
Through housing, food, gentleness, clothing, counselling, music, skill/talent development, focus, group inclusion/participation, teamwork, forgiveness, athletics, and distributive justice, the beneficiaries experience the world in a wholesome creative way. This is a way that they have never experienced before. As a result, thousands have responded in kind. The result can be seen in the exam outcome, where the MCF schools stand out, in athletic competitions where MCF students have a reputation for fairness and superb performance, in music where the passion, optimism, and joy is heard in voices now free from the ravages of violence, malnutrition and disease.
Self-sufficiency
While the bulk of the income required for both the operations and the capital development of MCF, there is a steady and intentional progress to reduce reliance on outside largess. When Kenyans heard about the work of MCF, local farmers and other Kenyan entrepreneurs started to donate food, money, and other essentials to MCF. As the philanthropy grew and MCF’s reputation expanded Western entrepreneurs came to see this astounding program for themselves. After seeing the work, evaluating the program and meeting Charles and Esther Mulli, generous donations came to assist not only the growing large operational costs, but also the infrastructure necessary for self-sufficiency. Businessmen have said that they are good at seeing good investments, and then they clearly say that for them, MCF has become a great investment for the future of Kenya and even humanity itself.
In service of self-sufficiency, food production including vegetables, fish and poultry were implemented in the east of Kenya from where it is said “nothing good comes”. Large scale farming was made a reality through water conservation that included the planting of over 20 million trees, building bio-digesters for waste management, water treatment plants, acres of Israeli designed water conservation greenhouses, and water reservoirs. Each of which have stories to be told.
Conclusion
Pictured is an aerial view of the students and staff of MCF Ndalani, the largest campus, taken by MCF in 2021. It gives a pictorial hint of why this narrative has so much material to be studied. In briefings, western Caucasian audiences have told me they have been moved deeply by the hope of MCF, especially in this broken post COVID world. They also have told me that they were joyfully overwhelmed by what some have said “seeing the hand of Creation in real time in a real place.” I am deeply humbled that this narrative will reveal this amazing philanthropy which is truly beyond human comprehension.
Written by George Zimmerman, M.A.
Ottawa, Canada
This narrative is endorsed by Dr. Charles Mulli, founder and CEO, Mully Children’s Family
Hi George! It's been great following your journey with MCF, and I look forward to reading your continued narratives. It seems that much can be learned from Charles and his family, and your detailed accountings are important. Thank you for sharing your experiences.
This is A ray of hope, inspiration and love for the people of Kenya. I see it all in your narrative. I also see the practicality of MCF and the great deed taking place. It is a well written narrative that needs to be told.
well written and thanks. See you at Knox men's breakfast
Hi George! It's been great following your journey with MCF, and I look forward to reading your continued narratives. It seems that much can be learned from Charles and his family, and your detailed accountings are important. Thank you for sharing your experiences.
This is A ray of hope, inspiration and love for the people of Kenya. I see it all in your narrative. I also see the practicality of MCF and the great deed taking place. It is a well written narrative that needs to be told.
James Elsliger