ABOUT US

Sweden Mutomo Projects International (SMPI) is   a   non-profit   organization   whose   aim   is   to   contribute   to   a   sustainable development with the improvement of the livelihoods of the residents of Mutomo District, Kenya. The projects implemented by the organization are financed by contributions from Swedish companies, Rotary clubs, organizations, individual donations and through member fees.

The  projects  implemented  by  the  Sweden  Mutomo  Projects  International  in  Mutomo District aim at giving  the local community the necessary support to develop and create participation and commitment towards positive growth and development. The projects build on active contributions from the community in the form of labour, transport and other raw materials.

SMPI was founded by a Swedish man known as Sten Kvarfordh who is a dentist together with his wife Birgitta in 2001. In his first visit to Mutomo as a volunteer at the Mutomo Mission Hospital through the Rotary Doctor Bank in Sweden, Sten observed the region’s unfavorable climatic changes characterized by short rainy seasons and long dry periods of famine and drought. He also observed that more than 70% of the local residents were peasant farmers who lived below the poverty line (1,25USD/day) unable to meet their basic needs and educate their education. The  standards  of  living  were  very  low  with  low  literacy  and  unemployment  levels amongst residents. HIV/AIDS prevalence was also high where he observed that nearly 60% of the patients visiting the facility were HIV positive in the early 2000s.

It is these facts that inspired Sten to initiate activities that will help alleviate poverty and want in Mutomo. At the start, the organization was a Self-help Group before metamorphosing into a CBO and finally into a registered Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) in 2014.

His  dream  is  to  see  SMPI  become  a  globally  recognized  organization  of  highly  driven members and staff for the implementation of high quality projects and a continued desire to follow his founding motto of Helping people to help themselves.