Why My Basic Needs Charity Foundation exists

Although born in the United Kingdom and raised partly within a royal family background, the founder grew up in Ghana’s North East Region and experienced first-hand what it meant to be a bright and ambitious child while frequently going without adequate food.

She consistently performed strongly academically. However, hunger affected her concentration, energy and ability to fulfil her academic potential.

After school, instead of going home to complete homework, she and some of her cousins would sometimes search the surrounding areas for something to eat. She also witnessed relatives and peers disengage from education, while some girls experienced teenage pregnancy in circumstances where poverty and lack of opportunity had severely limited their choices.

She remembers children walking several miles to attend school, arriving exhausted, dusty and sweating before facing the same long journey home.

These experiences became the foundation of MBNCF’s philosophy: a child’s potential should not be determined by whether there is food at home, whether a family can afford basic school materials or how many miles the child must walk to reach a classroom.

What began as one person’s effort to send food, clothing, books, stationery and financial assistance has developed into a wider mission. The Foundation now seeks to bring together individuals, communities, businesses, institutions and funding partners who believe every child deserves the basic conditions necessary to learn, develop and build a better future.