Ubuntu Village · Frequently Asked Questions
We believe in radical transparency. These are the questions we hear most often — answered honestly, in our own voice.
Who We Are & Our Mission
Ubuntu Village Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit rooted in New York and working across Kenya, Uganda, and Nigeria. We are not a charity delivering services to communities — we are a movement walking alongside communities who already hold the wisdom, the relationships, and the power to heal. We work at the intersection of ancestral knowledge, public health, and community-led change. EIN: 81-4465505.
Ubuntu is a Nguni Bantu philosophy that translates most directly as “I am because we are.” It means that our humanity is not individual — it is relational, communal, and ancestral. We do not exist apart from one another. That is not poetry for us; it is our operating principle. Everything Ubuntu Village does — from solar energy projects in rural Kenya to ancestral wellness education — is rooted in the belief that healing is collective, and that we rise together or not at all.
Ubuntu Village was founded by Michele Mitchell, who serves as President and CEO. Adhiambo Mitchell serves as CFO, and Valerie Joseph serves as Secretary. Our leadership reflects our values — community-centered, grounded in lived experience, and accountable to the people we serve.
Where We Work
Our programs are based in Kenya, Uganda, and Nigeria. In Kenya, we work with rural communities on food systems. In Uganda, we support ancestral-wisdom education and community health, and our Solar Power Initiative, in partnership with BrightLife, is bringing solar power to 100 families. In Nigeria, we work alongside communities rooted in traditional healing and collective resilience. Ubuntu Village Inc. is headquartered in East Harlem, New York (2390 2nd Avenue), where we are incorporated and governed.
Our programs span three interconnected areas: energy and food sovereignty (solar power access, food systems), ancestral health and wellness (community-led healing grounded in indigenous knowledge), and education and storytelling (amplifying community voices and teaching ancestral wisdom to younger generations). Community members do not receive our programs — they lead them.
Our programmatic footprint is in Kenya, Uganda, and Nigeria — that is where our community partners are, where our programs live, and where our funding goes. We are based in East Harlem, New York, which serves as our organizational home, but East Harlem is not a program site.
How to Get Involved
The most direct way to support our work is through a financial gift. Your contribution goes to community-led programs in Kenya, Uganda, and Nigeria — solar power, food sovereignty, ancestral health, and education. We also welcome in-kind support, institutional partnerships, and storytelling collaborations. Reach out at info@ubuntuvillageusa.org.
Yes. Monthly giving lets communities plan ahead instead of waiting on the next campaign. You can set up a recurring gift on our donate page.
Every gift resources work that communities in Kenya, Uganda, and Nigeria are already leading. You can see exactly how money moves in How Every Donation Reaches the Community Directly and Where Your Support Goes.
Subscribe to our newsletter and follow the blog, where we write at the intersection of ancestral wisdom, public health, and community power.
We are thoughtful about voluntourism — the idea that communities in Africa need outside help more than they need resources and respect. Our best partners are those who bring specific skills, long-term commitment, and genuine humility to the relationship. If you are interested in a sustained, values-aligned collaboration, write to us at info@ubuntuvillageusa.org and tell us what you bring and what you hope to learn.
Yes. We welcome partnerships with foundations, universities, health systems, faith communities, and mission-aligned organizations. Effective partnerships center the communities we serve, respect Ubuntu Village’s ethical commitments, and invest in long-term relationship rather than short-term visibility. Contact us at info@ubuntuvillageusa.org to begin a conversation.
Ethical Storytelling & Media
Our Ethical Storytelling Policy guides how we represent the communities we work with. At its core: communities are protagonists, not subjects. We do not share images or stories that center suffering, poverty, or helplessness. We do not use people’s stories without their informed consent. We do not accept narratives that position donors as saviors. Every story we tell honors the dignity, agency, and beauty of the people and places we serve. Read the full policy at ubuntuvillageusa.org/ethical-storytelling-policy/.
We center community voice and leadership in everything we publish. That means sharing stories of strength and self-determination — not stories of crisis or need. If a story would reduce a complex, sovereign community to a single moment of vulnerability, we do not tell it. If you see us falling short of this standard, we want to know.
We welcome media partnerships that align with our values and our Ethical Storytelling Policy. Please reach out to info@ubuntuvillageusa.org with a description of your project, your intended audience, and how you plan to center community voice in your work. We respond to all inquiries, and we are honest when a project is not the right fit.