Malengo Secures USD 12.9 M To Expand Education Pathways For East African Youth

Malengo, a non-profit organisation enabling international educational migration for East African youth, has secured USD 12.9 M in impact investment from The Shapiro Foundation to scale its programs across Uganda, Kenya, and Rwanda.

Founded in 2021 by Cornell University Professor Johannes Haushofer, Malengo helps students from low-income backgrounds access vocational and university education in Germany, unlocking pathways to high-paying careers.

The new funding will support over 700 students over the next three years, including refugees from Rwanda, and expand the NGO’s income-share agreement model, which funds students upfront and collects repayments only after they secure well-paid jobs.

To date, Malengo has enrolled 500 scholars earning up to USD 40 K annually in Europe, transforming not just individual lives but entire communities through remittances and economic empowerment.

The Shapiro Foundation’s investment deepens its commitment to creating durable pathways for education and self-reliance among refugees.