Being an entrepreneur, Kevin Mulleady enjoys helping people. Below, Kevin Mulleady talks about the S.O.U.L. Foundation; just one of the organizations he’s involved with.
The vision of the S.O.U.L. Foundation began back in 2009. Upon finishing nursing school, Brooke Stern and the late Kenneth Stern, Brooke’s father, decided to take a backpacking trip through East Africa. As they spent five days in the area of Bujagali Falls, they noticed the natives didn’t even have the basic necessities they needed to live. But despite these misfortunes, Brooke and Kenneth were amazed to see such high spirits and enthusiasm from the locals. But just like how Kevin Mulleady enjoys helping those in need, Brooke knew she had to do something about the problem at hand.
Just one short month after her visit to this area of Uganda, Brooke returned and spent the next 13 months living with the community. As she got firsthand experience of what these living conditions were like, she paid close attention to the peoples’ wants and needs. As there were multiple failed attempts at providing assistance, Brooke knew there needed to be a new model set in place. From there, she understood there had to be a strong focus on education. By addressing the lack of education, she believed this could help solve the underlying causes of poverty in this region. This is when the Supporting Opportunities for Ugandans to Learn (S.O.U.L.) Foundation was brought to life.
As Kevin Mulleady is a successful entrepreneur, he heard about the S.O.U.L. Foundation and knew immediately that he wanted to help. Although Kevin Mulleady is an entrepreneur who has founded multiple businesses, he still has time to follow one of his leading passions: helping those in need.
Kevin Mulleady has been all over the world and thoroughly enjoys traveling. Aside from his work with the S.O.U.L. Foundation, Kevin Mulleady has also done philanthropy work for The American Ireland Fund.
Today, the S.O.U.L. Foundation has expanded its offerings to provide assistance in a remarkable 30 villages in the Jinja and Iganga Districts. With the help of the many workers and volunteers, the S.O.U.L. Foundation has had an impact on over 14,000 Ugandans. With a small staff of only 38, 34 Ugandans and 4 Americans, these individuals have dedicated their time to helping this community learn, grow, and experience fulfilling lives.
While it’s pretty obvious as to why Kevin Mulleady would dedicate his time to helping out this community, what really drove him to join were the key principles that the foundation is all about. These principles include:
Empower individuals
Innovate sustainable solutions
Address global challenges
Forge partnerships
Seek local knowledge
Defend human dignity
As these principles really resonate with Kevin Mulleady, he knew he had to offer his philanthropy work in any way that he could. As a result, Kevin Mulleady decided to be a donor to provide assistance for the community in Uganda. Below, Kevin Mulleady shares some success stories of how the S.O.U.L. Foundation has changed the lives of the following children:
Mwembe Hakamada is a 15-year-old who is the third born in a family of six. Mwembe says his favorite subject in school is social studies, and his favorite activity is reading. The 15-year-old also mentioned that he looks up to his father because he is focused on making money for the family. As for what Mwembe wants to be when he’s older, he would love to become a tractor driver. Mwembe would like to thank all of the donors for covering his school fees.
Mulleady would also would also like to feature Mbalangu Ibra, a 14-year-old who lives in the Kyabirwa Village. He has three sisters and two brothers, and Mbalangu’s mother is a peasant farmer, while his dad works as a guide for a local rafting company. When he grows up, the 14-year-old wants to work as a policeman. Mbalangu gives a huge thank you to the sponsors who helped pay for his schooling.
As Kevin Mulleady loves to travel the world, he strives to continue his philanthropy work and provide help in any way that he can. Aside from helping those in need, Kevin also enjoys swimming, sailing, and skydiving. Kevin Mulleady is currently the founder and co-founder of many businesses in the following industries: biotech, fintech, healthcare, and more.