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Since its launch in 2015, the PDAid Foundation has enrolled two Kenyan youth from disadvantaged communities. It has been an amazing first year for mentees and the foundation team alike. Building on the experiences of a successful first year, the PDAid Foundation has teamed up with Kenyan NGO, Kilimanjaro Initiative, in planning the enrolment of five new mentees by 2017. Meanwhile, the team has worked behind the scenes on giving the mentor programme a sweeping facelift.It has been a life-changing journey for PDAid Foundation’s first two mentees, John and Benedetta. When they first came to the attention of the Foundation, they were challenged due to limited means and opportunities – like so many youths from disadvantaged communities.What John and Benedetta lacked in terms of resources, they possessed in motivation. They came to the foundation strong at will and eager to achieve their goals of improved living standards and a brighter future. John describes his encounter with the support programme in positive terms: ‘My journey from the moment I was enrolled in the foundation has been “WOW!”. It has changed my negative visions to positive ones. I am proud to say that I have now built up my self-confidence and a strong belief that things will be good for me. The journey helped bring encouragement and motivation that one day I will have a bright future.’John’s statement pinpoints the purpose of the support programme, and is backed by Benedetta, who was passionate about the Foundation from the get-go. ‘What makes the PDAid Foundation a great initiative is the fact that not only does it give people like me an opportunity to achieve our dreams, it has a future,’ she says. ‘The Foundation is expanding, and is already accommodating more youth who need its services. Being among the first beneficiaries, I will always be there to raise the burner for the positive impact this organization has had on my life,’ she enthuses.Building on the collaboration between the Foundation and the Kenyan NGO, Kilimanjaro Initiative (KI), and in particular KI’s founder Timothy Challen, the mentees have received advice, support and the resources necessary for them to start their educational journey. Before long, John was accepted to the Kenya Institute of Management and Benedetta to the Kenya Association of Professional Counselors. They have both risen to the occasion and keep thriving in their positions as students. Benedetta has even landed a full-time position as Administrative Assistant at a private company in Nairobi. SEVEN MENTEES IN JUST TWO YEARSMuch has happened since Dennis Nielsen and wife Pia Nielsen joined the Kilimanjaro Initiative (KI) for their first hike up Mount Kilimanjaro in 2014. An “ THE FOUNDATION CONTINUES TO DEVELOP THE SUPPORT PROGRAMME BASED ON FINANCIAL HELP, MENTORSHIP AND EDUCATION ”MELISSA MCCANN THOMSEN, COMMUNICATION MANAGER, PDAID FOUNDATIONPDAID FOUNDATION EXPANDS AND IMPROVESPDAid Foundationbackground Launched in February 2015 by CEO of Phoenix Design Aid, Dennis Nielsen, and his wife Pia Nielsen, with the support of the Kilimanjaro Initiative (NGO) headquartered in Kenya. Through education, financial means, personal communication and mentorships, the Foundation supports talented, young individuals from developing countries in becoming positive change agents within corporate and societal management. www.pdaidfoundation.org108 SUSTAINABLE BUSINESS