Marie Rahima Dawood Foundation gifts Palmhouse Foundation KShs 13M

Nairobi, February 24th 2017

Palmhouse Foundation has received a major financial boost of Sterling Pounds (GBP) 100,000 (Approx. KShs 13M) into its endowment fund from Marie Rahima Dawood Foundation (MRD) whose assets are derived from the royalties’   income of renowned surgeon Dr. Yusuf Kodwavwala, as writer of the popular ‘Surgeon’s Diary’ published in the Sunday Nation in the name of ‘Yusuf Dawood’.

While presenting the donation during the annual Palmhouse Recognition and Thanksgiving Dinner held at the Muthaiga Country Club on 23rd February 2017, Dr. Yusuf Kodwavwala said “MRD was especially impressed by Palmhouse Foundation’s demonstrable country-wide selection process, continuous monitoring and follow-up and the calibre of their ‘finished product’ that has to date transformed the lives of over 700 bright but needy students countrywide”.

Dr. Yusuf Kodwavwala further added that “By directly contributing to the Palmhouse Foundation’s Endowment Fund, the GBP 100,000 financial injection shall be ‘ring-fenced’ for investment with endowment income used as MRD Scholarships in perpetuity” Chief Guest at the dinner Joe Muganda, Group CEO of Nation Media Group revealed that the ‘Surgeon’s Diary’ holds the enviable record of being longest-running feature column spanning over 30 years, published in the Sunday Nation. Muganda lauded the unique story-telling and writing gift of Dr. Kodwavwala “that literally transports the minds of ‘Surgeon’s Diary’     readers into the world of his characters, Sunday after Sunday”.

He celebrated MRD for “defining a legacy that promotes sustainability to mitigate socio-economic imbalance in society by donating to endowment” and called on other individuals and corporates of goodwill to emulate the MRD ‘power of example’.

Eric Kimani—Co-Founder and Chair of Board of Trustees while thanking Dr. Yusuf Kodwavwala and Mrs. Marie Kodwavwala for the ‘significant and selfless donation’, revealed that most funding for Palmhouse Foundation is from indigenous Kenyan corporates and individuals who have bought into the vision of Palmhouse. He noted several other charities and individuals including two (2) of Palmhouse Foundation’s own alumni have also made substantial contributions to the endowment fund.