Basic Foundations

Basic Foundations is a small London-based charity run by Sam Fox, Alex Hayes, Zoja Milovanovic and Claire Graham. It supports small local projects and organisations by providing the basics they need to meet their goals effectively, develop sustainably and attract long term donors. Basic Foundations was founded by Sam, Zoja and Alex in 2010. Whilst working in Kenya in August 2010 Alex and Sam visited a wide range of locally run projects and organisations around Nairobi and Mombassa. They were struck by the disparity in development and support between the places their work took them. Whilst some, projects, villages and towns had wonderful public facilities and long-term local and international sponsors, many places unfortunately didn't. The disparity in national and international support inspired them to start Basic Foundations. They wanted to start a charity that helped the people who had seemingly 'fallen through the cracks' and that is exactly what they did. What we do We identify project and organisations that we think we can really help. The plans come directly from the organisations themselves. They instruct us on what is required to reach their goals and how it can be done. We assess these proposals, ensure that they are viable, agree an approach for delivery, and work to raise the required funds before facilitating the project. So far we have built a sanitation block for an orphanage in a children’s centre in Nairobi that supports up to 800 street kids at any one time. The local government had wanted to shut it down because they didn’t have toilet and washing facilities. Basic Foundations raised the funds and went out there to build the toilets, allowing the project to continue its fantastic work. We have also built a garden for disabled people in rural Gambia to learn skills and make a living, and kitted out a nursery school in the same place to allow some of the poorest families in the region to send their children to school.