The Founder - Mully Children's Family

Dr. Charles Mutua Mulli is a celebrated philanthropist, entrepreneur, environmentalist and the founder of Mully Children’s Family (MCF) based in Kenya founded in 1989. MCF is a Christian charitable organization that works with disadvantaged persons to transform their lives and enable them lead dignified livelihoods. The foundation of Mully Children’s Family (MCF) and its mission is a reflection of true-life experiences of Charles Mulli as a child and his desire to make the world fit for every child one at a time.

Childhood

Charles Mutua Mulli was born to Daudi Muli and Rhoda Mukina in 1949 in Kangundo, Machakos, Kenya. Charles experienced a debilitating childhood after being abandoned by his family at age six. Charles spent his childhood and adolescence begging to survive and scraping out a meagre existence while trying to come to terms with his abusive past. Through benevolence from relatives, Mulli attended Kyamulendu and Kathithyamaa schools in Kangundo, Machakos County in Kenya. He completed his primary education in 1966 but was unable to enter secondary school because he could not afford it.

Christian Life.

Life challenges to young Mulli were unbearable and even prior to accepting Jesus as his personal saviour at 16 Years, he contemplated suicide. The World seemed either too unforgiving or just cruel to the less fortunate members in society. Things were tough.

It was in the midst of such experiences, that one of his friends invited him to a youth meeting in the neighbourhood. This was the turning point in the life of Dr. Mulli to what it is today. He accepted Jesus Christ as his personal saviour and Lord in 1965. He maintained the confession and faith as he moved from one level of promotion to the other amidst suffering and hardship. He had total faith in the Lord God, that he easily found comfort in church activities and programmes than he did in secular activities. While serving as a minister of the gospel and a Christian youth leader, he interacted with many of high standing in the ministry and society.

That interaction led him to be appointed to and/or elected to sit on most church boards such as; Chairman African Inland Church Fellowship- Eldoret; Chairman of AIC Uasin Gishu District Church Council (DCC) and a member of the central council of the AIC. He founded and directed Youth for Christ (YFC) Western Kenya for a period of Ten Years before leaving to full-time ministry of rescuing and rehabilitating children

Employment, Business and Leadership

In 1967, Dr Mulli got employed and worked as a casual labourer in an Asian home in Nairobi. Where his duties included tilling the garden, washing clothes, cooking and other domestic chores. His diligence to service and hard work led to his secondment to a horticultural farm in Kakuzi EPZ as a clerk. In 1968, he got a job as a store manager and data clerk with German Construction Company. From his savings, he bought a car which he converted into a taxi in 1971 plying Eldoret – Nakuru road. Through God’s favour on his life, his business grew in volume and size hence leading to a big company operating a fleet of vehicles under the trade name “Mullyways”. Besides the transport business, Dr Mulli ventured into the insurance business as an agent security firm, motor vehicle components and accessories, LPG gas distributor in Western Kenya as well as agricultural business ventures. Hence becoming very wealthy, with assets valued in millions of shillings.

He also served as chairperson of the boards for several international schools in Kenya between 1970 and 1991. Through prayer and hard work, Charles Mulli experienced unprecedented success. He raised a wonderful family, excelled in business and became a pinnacle in the church movement and board leadership in schools.

Marriage and Family.

Dr Mulli married Esther Nthenya in 1970 with whom they have seven biological children. The children in part grew up when MCF was in its early years of operations and service to humanity. The young ones had the privilege of attending school with the MCF beneficiaries in both primary and high school, while the older ones joined their father in service to the less fortunate children. Today, all the biological children have embraced the vision and directly serve the ministry in different capacities.

The founding of Mully Children’s Family (MCF)

While on a business trip in Nairobi in 1986, Dr Mulli experienced a life-changing incident. Approached by a group of street children while exiting his car, he refused to give them any money. This refusal stemmed from his belief that doing so would encourage the use of illegal substances. Returning a few hours later, he realized that his car had been stolen.

It was not the material loss that stuck with him, but rather the desperation of the children; a situation he well understood from his own past.

The memory of those street children remained with Dr Mulli for the next three years. Until he decided to sell his lucrative business in order to take care of those lost souls. His debilitating past became the springboard for his extraordinary mission to transform the lives of the marginalized persons in society.

In 1989, through divine calling, Dr Mulli began selling all his properties and businesses and dedicated the proceeds to helping street children through rescue, shelter, medical care, psychosocial support, and education. With a blend of compassion, forgiveness and a mission of hope, he began to usher the street children into his home one by one as from 17^th November 1989. This was the birth of Mully Children’s Family. Dr Mulli shared his new calling with his family who agreed to support him in prayer and practice.

He, however, faced unimaginable rejection in the early years of inception from close friends, business associates and even from his church for choosing to commit his life and resources to save the lives of the street children. Amidst all the rejection, Dr Mulli’s biological family provided solid backing and commitment to the cause. Since then, there have been no regrets or looking back.

Education

Through the help of well-wishers, Dr Mulli underwent elementary and intermediate education at Kathithyamaa intermediate school where he sat for his grade 7 in the year 1966. He could not proceed to secondary school due to poverty. He later registered for part-time training paying for tuition from his meagre wages and earned certificates in Evangelism and basic accounting in 1967 and 1968 respectively.

Thereafter, through correspondence, he pursued courses in;

Evangelism and Theology organized by Bill Graham in 1993.
Youth Evangelism and Leadership sponsored by Youth for Christ International in 1994.
Mulli also trained at AIC Missionary College – Eldoret and attained a Diploma in Missiology in 1996.

In recognition of his contribution to humanity, higher education and sustainable development through his work, Dr Mulli has been awarded three honorary degrees.

In 2009, an Honorary Doctorate degree award in humanities by the United Graduate College and Seminary;
In 2011, he received an honorary doctorate award in Social Work from Kabarak University, Kenya;
In 2019, an honorary Doctor of Science degree award of McGill University – Montreal Canada, in Agriculture and Environment Sciences.

Publications

To advance the ministry of Mully Children’s Family and the Mully Model, Dr Mulli has authored and has also been the subject of autobiographies, docudrama, conference papers and talk shows.

The books and autobiographies among others are;

The ‘Mully’ Movie and Dr Charles Mulli

This is an award-winning docudrama and the true-life story of Charles Mully as the main Actor. It presents practical life experiences, the challenges, successes and impact of Mully’s actions in a movie aimed to speak to the world and advance humanity. The Making of the movie was inspired by Dr Mulli’s desire to influence viewers to transform their thinking towards treating others humanely, seeing the potential in every human being in any part of the world irrespective of background, origin, race, sex, and colour. The movie also champions the observance and adherence to the moral imperative to provide assistance to all people in need regardless of faith and upholding national as well as international humanitarian standards and principles. This movie is about Dr Mulli’s life and ministry anchored on Christian values, the power of prayer and the exercise of faith towards others through transformative and compassionate action, preaching peace, unconditional love, forgiveness, humility, endurance, perseverance, and unity and does not coerce any recipient of aid to change their faith. It reflects on the virtues of good stewardship and servant leadership based on honesty, trustworthiness and determination. In 2014, actor and filmmaker, Scott Haze, along with Lukas Behnken and Elissa Shay with support by Bardis Productions (John Bardis), journeyed to MCF to document the story in film. Through re-enactments, historical and home footage, as well as present-day interviews, the Mulli’s story was retold in the documentary, Mully Movie. The movie was launched in 2016 and has won numerous awards.