Be the change you wish
to see in the world.
Mahatma Gandhi
About Us
Mindful Smiles is a non-profit association governed by Swiss law based in Lugano, created by Mindful Wealth Pte Ltd. Long time ago in 2003, Mindful Group partners with a small group of volunteers committed to dedicating time and economic resources to others, already set up the Future and Hope non-profit organization, also governed by Swiss Law. Mindful Smiles mainly collaborates with Future and Hope. Both association are entirely apolitical with no religious affiliations and have been recognized by the authority of Canton Ticino as a public benefit purposes companies.
Mindful Smiles’ mission is to finance projects aimed at cultural and economic development of disadvantaged communities and to therefore enhance human assets who live there and to protect their surrounding environment.
All Mindful Smiles activities are carried out cost-free through volunteerism management and administration expenses are fully sponsored by the founders and all fund-raising initiatives, events, publications, and promotions are realized without any cost to the institutions and associations supported.
1000+
Children helped
10+
Projects realised
The Associations operate mainly in Africa, where we have supported projects in various countries. In particular in Kenya, we support the work of Father Francis Limo Riwa, a Tanzanian missionary who since 1999, has been taking care of street children in Meru, the capital of the county of the same name about 280 km from Nairobi.
The first meeting between the volunteers and Father Francis took place under the shade of a mango tree, which at that time was the only source of shelter apart from a small hut for the children in need of assistance. Today, surrounding that mango tree stands the villages of San Francesco and Santa Clara, which together houses and protects over 1000 children who are guaranteed food, housing, quality education and medical treatment.
The Associations are funded through Mindful Wealth Pte Ltd, an annual fee paid by the members, voluntary donations from both individual and legal persons as well as our child sponsorship program, which is our main source of funding.
Projects
Since 2003, we have been in Kenya with Future and Hope NGO, through which we have actively participated in supporting over 1,000 children and adolescents between 6 and 19 years of age, majority of whom are orphans.
Our primary goal is to cooperate continuously and consistently with missionaries and associations in the territory in order to guarantee real and tangible results in the long term.
Kenya
St. Clara Girls Village
Founded in 2003, St. Clara Girls' Village today offers the chance to learn the occupation of seamstress in addition to learning how to farm. The village currently accommodates around 400 girls.
We provide food, accomodation, quality school education, clothes, safety and medical treatment when needed. Every children can attend primary school for a total of 8 years and secondary school for 4 years.
Organization: Future and Hope
Kenya
St. Francis Boys Village
Located approximately 12 km from the City of Meru, Kenya, St. Francis Children's Village started with only 10 orphans. Today, it has grown to host a total of 450 children and officially recognized as the only facility able to host street boys and girls by the local government of the Meru Country, a region of about 1.4 million inhabitants.
In the village, people are given opportunities to learn skilled occupation such as builder or seamstress. The children, on the other hand, can learn how to grow crops and farm livestock and fish.
Organization: Future and Hope
Kenya
St. Philomena Children (HIV Positive) Village
This project was created at the end of September 2015 to build the first shelter home for 150/160 boys and girls with HIV just a few hundred metres from the villages of St. Clara Girls and St. Francis Children's Village.
Currently, we take care a total number of 178 orphaned boys and girls born with HIV. In here, our association aims to provide food, accommodation, clothes, education, safety and medical care needed to fight the virus. Through St. Philomena's project, we want to demonstrate that, when children who are HIV-positive are loved, taken care of and schooled, they can become a resource for the community.
Organization: Future and Hope
CHILD SPONSORSHIP - Make Them Smile
Too many children around the world are not getting the opportunities they deserve. Either born with serious illness or without the affection of their parents. There is no doubt they all merit a better life. By sponsoring our children, you will give them the change they deserve, a brighter future.
By adopting a child from distance, not only your donation goes to a single child but also to the entire project. Thus, making your help matters to more lives. In fact, you may therefore think that you are adopting hundreds of children, and this is how we like to think.
The boys and girls living in the villages are supported by people like you who decided to sponsor them. With a daily cost of just EUR 1.50 (CHF 1.65), you will make a huge difference to hundreds of unfortunate children. Be part of that change!
Education
With regards to learning environment, children can attend primary school for a total of eight years and secondary school for four years. Studying is a fundamental pillar and the quality of the teaching is paramount. Our students have often obtained the highest grades in Meru County in state exams.
Apart from that, we have funded a local purchase of 20 new computers with printers, furniture as well as a photocopier. This purchase was essential to allow St. Clara’s school to teach IT, a compulsory subject in secondary school.
Food, Water and Nutrition
A few years ago, the Association funded their first pilot project for producing corn, amaranth, beans, vegetables and fruits. 100 acres of land were used during several years. This initiative helped provide food for 560 orphaned children.
Part of the land was also made available for cultivation by poor families who received seeds and help from Father Francis's staff. This allowed around 400 poor families to have a profitable job.
We have even funded the construction of well and helped fund the construction of water tank. The well and tank have granted St. Clara Girls' Village access to drinking water.
Pig Farm
We funded the building and its facility to breed pigs for private consumption and for sale. We are currently breeding 180 pigs. This allows us to have pork meat for the kids once a month.
Fish Farm
23 natural tanks and 6 artificial ones have been built to create a fish farm that cater for catfish and tilapia. To date, we have reached a significant amount of 21,000 fishes, which enables us to give our children fish to eat once a week.
Transportation
We have funded the purchase of a multi-functional vehicles as means of transport, which are used for moving goods (necessary for crop cultivation and livestock farming projects) and for transporting people (essential for taking the workers to the fields and for transporting our children).
Yoga For Charity
As a qualified yoga teacher, Elide, has never stopped being committed to helping others, in Mind, Body and Soul. People from all walks of life have benefited as she, a yogi who has practiced yoga for many years, continues to share her passion.
She has even launched "Yoga for Charity", whereby she finds different ways to organize yoga classes in various countries she travels to and donates all proceeds she received to help our association. Our names Mindful Smiles and Mindful Wealth comes from her inspiration.
Photo Gallery
Explore with us in our meaningful journey....
We can’t ever thank you enough!
When we started this journey many years ago, we never would have imagined to be able to achieve and accomplish so much! All this has only been possible because of all of you. The support and donations we received from all of our friends around the world includes countries such as Australia through Singapore to Turkey, across Europe from England to Greece to Switzerland and Italy. We have received over 250 child sponsorships and every single donation is very important to us. Thank you again to all of you.
“We ourselves feel that what we are doing is just a drop in the ocean. But the ocean would be less because of the missing drop” - (Mother Teresa of Calcutta).
Mindful Smiles Organization