Founder
Mercy Rono
Electrical Engineer, author, and mentor. Founder of The Matele Foundation, passionate about creating spaces where young people are seen, supported, and empowered to build lives of purpose.
Our Story
About the Matele Foundation
A youth-development organisation empowering young people and strengthening communities in Sachangwan, Molo Sub-County, and beyond.
Who We Are
A Foundation Built on Purpose
The Matele Foundation is a youth-development organisation based in Sachangwan, Molo Sub-County, Nakuru County, Kenya. We exist to create lasting, positive change in the lives of young people by equipping them with the skills, mentorship, and opportunities they need to reach their full potential.
Our work is guided by our 2026–2031 Strategic Framework, built around five transformative "Movements" and five Pathways to Potential that address the critical needs of the young people and communities we serve.
We believe that when young people are empowered with purpose, supported by caring communities, and given real opportunities, they become the architects of a better future — for themselves, their families, and their communities.
Our Origin
The Story Behind Our Name
The Matele Foundation carries the name and unrealised vision of Keith Matele — a young person whose dreams for community transformation moved those around him. He believed every young person carries a purpose worth investing in, and that a community's strength is measured by how well it nurtures its young.
Keith was our agemate — someone from our own generation. When we lost him, the pain did not simply pass, and it still shapes why we do this work. Rather than let his vision end with him, family, friends, and peers chose to carry it forward — not as a memorial, but as a living initiative. May he rest in peace.
That is why our focus is on young people. We have felt what a community loses when a young life is cut short, and we know what it can gain when one is supported. Today, The Matele Foundation is an institutional organisation with its own mission, strategic framework, programmes, partnerships, and team. Rooted in Sachangwan and Molo Sub-County, our work now reaches beyond one person's story to serve the young people and communities of Nakuru County and beyond.
Strategic Framework
Our Five Movements
The strategic framework that guides everything we do.
1
Dream
2
Foundation
3
Journey
4
Impact
5
Invitation
Our Vision
A thriving community where every young person is empowered to realize their full potential and become a catalyst for positive change.
Our Mission
To empower children, adolescents and young people through mentorship, education, leadership development, life skills, community engagement and strategic partnerships that create opportunities, strengthen resilience and transform communities.
What Drives Us
Our Values
Six values that, together, spell the name we carry.
- Mindfulness
- Accountability
- Trust
- Excellence
- Legacy
- Empathy
Our founding principles
- We see potential before problems.
- We invest in people before programmes.
- We believe communities are built together.
- We lead with integrity and compassion.
- We measure success by lives transformed, not activities conducted.
Meet the Team
The People Behind The Matele Foundation
Founders, leaders, and community champions carrying forward The Foundation's vision: building the Foundation's programmes, governance, and community reach.
Vice Chairperson
Brian Kipruto
Community leader, education professional, and youth empowerment advocate. Passionate about creating meaningful opportunities for young people and building stronger, more empowered communities.
Board Member — Finance
Zacharia K. Cheruiyot
Financial services specialist with 25+ years of progressive experience in banking, microfinance, and government — championing financial inclusion for the underbanked.
Community Programmes
Alex
Veterinary paraprofessional passionate about animal health, livestock productivity, and community service — bringing teamwork, discipline, and a commitment to positive impact.
Our Partners
Organisations and institutions working alongside the Matele Foundation to support young people and strengthen communities in Sachangwan and Molo Sub-County.
Kenya Red Cross SocietyHumanitarian partner
Kenya Red Cross Society
The Kenya Red Cross Society is a national humanitarian organisation established by an Act of Parliament, working as an auxiliary to national and county governments to alleviate human suffering, preserve life and dignity, and support communities in emergencies and development.
Kenya (national, with a Nakuru County branch)
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KCB Bank KenyaFinancial-services partner
KCB Bank Kenya
KCB Bank Kenya is a subsidiary of KCB Group Plc, one of East Africa's largest banking groups. Through the KCB Foundation, the group runs long-standing youth and enterprise programmes including the 2Jiajiri technical-skills initiative and the KCB Scholars Programme.
Kenya (headquartered in Nairobi)
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Coptic Hospital SalgaaHealthcare partner
Coptic Hospital Salgaa
Coptic Hospital Salgaa is the Rift Valley branch of the Coptic Hospital network in Kenya, sited on the Nakuru–Eldoret Highway at St. Mary Coptic Orthodox Church, Salgaa. The facility offers 24-hour outpatient and emergency care, maternity, laboratory, imaging, and specialist clinics.
Salgaa, Nakuru–Eldoret Highway, Nakuru County, Kenya
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St. Joseph's Rehema College of Health SciencesEducation partner
St. Joseph's Rehema College of Health Sciences
St. Joseph's Rehema College of Health Sciences is a health-training college in Molo, Nakuru County, affiliated with St. Joseph's Hospital Molo. It offers programmes in nursing, allied health, laboratory sciences, community health, and related disciplines.
Molo, Nakuru County, Kenya
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Sachangwan Highway Medical CentreHealthcare partner
Sachangwan Highway Medical Centre
Sachangwan Highway Medical Centre is a community medical clinic serving Sachangwan and the surrounding Molo constituency along the Nakuru–Eldoret Highway. It is listed among SHA-approved health facilities in Nakuru County.
Sachangwan, Molo Sub-County, Nakuru County, Kenya
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