Our Story
The Legacy That Started It All
The Simba Trust is rooted in a legacy of compassion and the belief that education transforms lives. Our founder's grandfather raised funds to build an all-girls school and dormitory for underprivileged girls in India, transforming the lives of countless young women. This taught us: when you invest in education, you create lifelong opportunity.
Why "Simba"?
Our name honors two inspirations: Simba, our founder's beloved K9 companion whose name means "lion" in Swahili, and the rich culture of Africa where our work began. The name embodies strength, pride, and leadership, values we bring to every community we serve.
From One Village to Many
Our first program began in Amboseli, Kenya, providing school uniforms to Maasai children. The heartfelt gratitude from community leaders showed us the transformative power of this simple act. Since then, we've expanded across Kenya, covering school fees, supplies, meals, and health services to remove barriers to education.
Our Promise
Every contribution creates a ripple effect of hope. With each uniform distributed, textbook delivered, and scholarship granted, we're building brighter, more equitable futures, one child, one community at a time.
Mission and Vision
Our Vision:
A world where poverty doesn't determine a child's access to education, where every student in underserved communities has the tools, resources, and support to build their own future.
Our Mission:
Break financial barriers to education in Kenya and beyond by providing uniforms, textbooks, and school fees, ensuring children can attend, stay in, and excel at school.
Core Values
Integrity: Ensuring transparency and accountability in all operations.
100% of program donations go directly to children.
Compassion: Acting with empathy and care to meet the needs of children.
Working directly with community leaders on the ground to ensure resources reach those who need them most
Empowerment: Providing tools and opportunities for children to achieve their potential.
Not just giving books, ensuring students have uniforms and fees covered so they can stay in school.
Equity: Focusing on underserved communities to reduce educational disparities.
Targeting Maasai villages where children often lack access to basic school supplies.
Sustainability: Supporting long-term solutions for lasting impact.
Three-year education funding commitments, not one-time gifts.
About Our Founder
Mital Patel, the founder of The Simba Trust, is an accomplished fine art photographer, filmmaker, and advocate for environmental and social causes. As a Managing Partner at NewcrestImage, a leading hospitality firm, his experience has instilled a commitment to strategic planning and sustainable impact, principles that guide The Simba Trust. Through his travels photographing communities worldwide, Mital witnessed firsthand the challenges faced by children in underserved areas, inspiring him to combine his legacy of compassion with actionable change for education and empowerment.
“I've been fortunate to travel the world through my photography and hospitality work. But nothing has been more fulfilling than using those experiences to create lasting change for children who simply need a chance. The Simba Trust is my commitment to ensuring education isn't a privilege, it's a right."
– Mital Patel
Our Board of Directors
The Simba Trust is guided by accomplished leaders who bring decades of international business experience, operational excellence, and deep commitment to human-centered impact. Together, they ensure strategic direction, financial accountability, and mission-driven results.
Mital Patel
Mital Patel is an entrepreneur, photographer, and founder of The Simba Trust. His 20+ years scaling businesses taught him operational excellence. His travels as a fine art photographer taught him what matters: people, opportunity, and dignity. The Simba Trust is where those two worlds meet—using strategic leadership to break financial barriers to education for children in Kenya and beyond.
Founder & Chair
Dr. Chistophe Suchy
Dr. Suchy is Chairman of ReSPR Technologies and Co-Founder of Global Citizen Consulting. A seasoned global executive with 20+ years of experience scaling businesses across 47 countries, he brings proven expertise in international operations, governance, and sustainable growth. His passion for global citizenship and creating solutions that balance profit with purpose perfectly aligns with The Simba Trust's mission to unlock opportunity for underserved children.
Board Member
Bashar Wali
Bashar is Founder and CEO of This Assembly, a global hospitality firm dedicated to creating spaces and experiences that transform human connection. With three decades of international experience, Bashar understands that real change happens through human care, dignity, and opportunity. He brings a powerful conviction that every person deserves to feel valued and empowered, a belief that drives The Simba Trust's commitment to education as a pathway to dignity and possibility.
Board Member
Hasit Patel
Hasit is Chief Operating Officer of the Ramco Group, which operates 47 companies across Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, and Rwanda. With 20+ years of experience in business transformation and operations, Hasit brings deep expertise in scaling systems, building resilient organizations, and creating opportunities for people to grow. His leadership philosophy, that business exists to develop people, directly aligns with The Simba Trust's mission.
Board Member