Jon Uglow is the founder of Rafiki Thabo Foundation, a charity which supports children in Eastern Africa to access education, and this year celebrates its 20th anniversary. Charity Times spoke to him about the charity's journey, the power of education to transform lives, and his ambitions for the future.


Tell us about your career and how you came to set up Rafiki Thabo Foundation?
After A-levels, I spent a gap year teaching in Kenya. I saw first-hand that many children in my host community were missing out on school simply because their families couldn’t afford the fees. It was a stark realisation: the only difference between my future opportunities and those of my friends in Kenya was that I had been able to access education. For them, education was the key to escaping hunger and the cycle of poverty.

When I returned to the UK and pursued my career in garden design, I began paying school fees for several children I had met so they could continue their education. But I knew I wanted to make a bigger impact. Others who had been on similar gap years were doing the same in Uganda and Lesotho, so we joined forces to create Rafiki Thabo Foundation. The name reflects our roots: Rafiki means “friend” in Kiswahili, and Thabo means “joy” in Sesotho.

Today, the charity funds children and young people’s education at school, college, and university through scholarships, a school meals programme, and improvements to learning environments.

There have been many learnings along the way, particularly the importance of working with in-country committees and partners so decisions are collaborative, culturally informed, and never “top down”. Our fundraising approach has also evolved significantly. But we are incredibly proud to be marking our 20th year, having supported almost 1,000 children so far.

What are the challenges you have faced over the years and what are the charity’s achievements?
We’re proud of everything we’ve achieved over two decades. Last year alone, we supported more than 500 scholars, but the real impact is in the ripple effect. Scholars tell us that having someone believe in them gave them confidence, dignity, and the ability to provide for their families. Many describe it as life-changing.

Our graduates have gone on to become teachers, accountants, business leaders, entrepreneurs, police officers, army officers, NGO workers, doctors, nurses, and midwives. Their success strengthens their communities and creates long-term change.

Some individual stories stay with you. One is Ayiesa, who grew up in poverty and malnutrition and had no money for school fees. He paid for his exams by mending shoes, collecting firewood, and scavenging recycling from rubbish tips. With our support, he went to university, secured a government job, and now pays for his four children (and two others) to attend school. He also mentors 25 young people to help them get the most from their education. He is one of the 85% of our graduates who “pay it forward” by supporting other children or contributing to their communities.

Like all charities, securing funding is a challenge. We previously relied heavily on gala dinners and major events, and we remain grateful to our generous supporters. But we are conscious that, for a charity working to lift people out of poverty, the optics of gala dinners can feel misaligned, and such acquisition fundraising is expensive. We are diversifying our income through churches, schools, charity partnerships, challenge events, and grants. We were also delighted to be selected twice for the BBC Radio 4 Appeal — the first raising £33,000,— and the second in June [2026] which helps raise vital funds and our profile. We continue to explore new fundraising approaches with a greater focus on stewarding our current supporters and individual giving such as legacy fundraising.

One of your main income streams are charity shops but lots of people report that they are not lucrative for charities. What have you found?
Charity shops can be expensive to run, and we’ve seen some large charities close theirs. But our shops — which operate under our trading name, ACACIA — have been a significant and sustainable income stream. Last year, they generated £150,000.

Their social and environmental impact is equally important. In 2023, we sold 187,039 pre-loved items, saving an estimated 336.7 tonnes of CO₂ — equivalent to the annual carbon absorption of around 13,468 mature trees.

We also generate substantial social value by providing jobs and supporting local communities, which we estimate at more than £33 million. While we appreciate that many charities are making tough decisions in the current climate, it’s important to consider the wider picture, especially for organisations like ours, where climate change is already making life harder for the communities we support.

What do you hope Rafiki Thabo Foundation will achieve in the next 20 years?
Our ambition is to enable many more children and young people to access education through scholarships, school improvements, and targeted support. We are particularly focused on reducing the inequalities faced by children with disabilities, including through programmes such as parent training for delivering therapy to children with autism. We also hope to grow our graduate mentoring programme, to close the gap between education and employability.

We know girls and women are disproportionately affected by foreign aid cuts and climate change, so continuing to address gender inequality will be a priority. We are also excited about the ripple effect of our work: recent graduates have formed an alumni group to support future scholars, extending our impact far beyond the charity itself.

We wish to grow sustainably though, staying true to our lean and local structure.
Finally, we want to continue building our profile so we can inspire more people to support our mission ensuring as many children as possible have the opportunity to access education and transform their futures.

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