How Dr. Charles Mulli Sold an Empire to Save 40,000 Lives

Rock stars. For today's episode, I went all the way to Kenya, Africa to film this interview in person. And you might think I'm exaggerating, but literally at the beginning of November, I was in Kenya, Africa and one of the main drivers was to meet Charles Mulley. He is one of the most successful entrepreneurs in the world. He was homeless in Kenya as a young child. His parents literally left him to be homeless. They couldn't afford to feed him, so they just walked away from him. And for years he begged on the streets for food only to become one of the most successful entrepreneurs. But rockstars. This story takes a turn for the amazing when he is told by God one day to sell everything he owns as a business owner and to focus on rescuing homeless children in Kenya. This story is so profound. So go watch that documentary and I want you to be really attuned to this in person interview with Charles Mulley. As we are talking to him, he's going to talk about the power of purpose, the power of vision and values, which by the way, were plastered all over his first home. He has 11 campuses, is what they call them now. It's called the Moley's Children's Family Organization and they have raised over 40,000 children since that time. He has a global leader in how purpose and profits can make real change in the world. If you're looking for something to inspire you today, pay close attention today's episode. Go watch that documentary and then revisit your business because I promise you, you're going to find the capability to not only overcome hard team hard things, but to 10x your scale because there's a reason why. Enjoy the show.

Thank you so much for taking some time to be with us today. It has been a pleasure to be here with your family.

Yeah. Thank you very much indeed. It is our pleasure and our joy to have you here and even other visitors, those who have come from abroad, especially from America, as the. In the. In the Canada, Canada and the usa.

Yes, it's been a phenomenal trip. And I know you get visitors from across the world who come to your facility. And your story is one of the most beautiful examples of following God's direction to help other people I've ever heard. Would you mind sharing with the audience your story of how you were born and just some of the main pivotal moments of your life so that people can understand how we ended up sitting in these chairs together today?

Yeah. Thank you so much and welcome to Mooli Children Family. The largest family in the world.

The largest family in the world.

Amen. And this has been over the last 36 years of existence, since the Lord God touched my heart to really to start this kind of a ministry. I am. My background is entrepreneur, really business. And I started my business when I was young, at the age of 20, 20, 21, when I started doing business. And the reason is that I never went to school for long because due to lack of school fees and poverty. And my family abandoned me, my own mother and the father.

I think that's an important part of the story. If I can jump in, because how old were you when your mom and dad abandoned you?

I was five years old. And the sixth year is when I realized that my mom, my dad was not around, nowhere to be seen. And that was the beginning of troubles on me. And for 10 years I had never found them, I never met them. And so I grew up begging such a street in the communities, begging here especially for food to survive. And so it was really crucial I went to school for quite a few years. I covered the eight classes in four years. And God has blessed me with a very smart mind. And I always was leading in the class, even though I never attended full time. But anyway, I dropped out of school in grade eight. And that's when I was about 15, 16 years. And I found myself useless young man, crying and asking God, whom I never knew, but what happened, what happened? Why? And I always remembered that my father always beat my mother, you know, very badly. And muesli blood from her mouth. And she was screaming and it was really terrible. That went in my mind, in my heart for all the years. But then, when I was 16 years old is when I decided to commit suicide. Because I found that there was no use of me being able to live longer. And my age mates were in school, they had gone to secondary school. And myself, I had no hope. And so, due to that fact, I made that decision to cut my life short. And therefore I went somewhere where there was a bridge and I wanted to jump over down. And then after. Sometimes I felt somebody touch me in the shoulder here. And then I look behind. And then I found also a young man, but older than me. And he asked me, would you follow me? Me, I would like to go with you to somewhere. And I said, where? I said, a church. I did not know the meaning of a church. And what church can do to me, because there are also churches. I could hear there are churches, but I never got any help. But then I said, yes, we walked with this man and then to that direction, the east of the place where I stood. And I said to myself, who this man? But then we entered to our church. I found people singing, Africans clapping hands. And there I was, looking pale, like tears. I could not understand why these people are so happy. And in that moment, the preacher came up with the gospel of Jesus Christ about the power of forgiveness. And I remembered how I was so angry about my father. And I was saying, anytime I will meet wherever I will fight him. Because now I saw big young man, 16 years old.

And you were ready to fight him?

I was ready. You know, it was really timely that I needed that. And the preacher spoke about the power of forgiveness and how the Lord Jesus Christ came and died for the whole world. And that we were believing in should not perish, but have eternal life. And therefore I felt I was oppressed. I had reached to the wall because that's why I wanted to take away my life. And thus the preacher, when he said he want to pray for those who want to be prayed for, I raised my hand and I said, God help me, save me from my situation. And that I felt relieved. And I was prayed for and I was calm. But that was not the beginning of joy. It was not the beginning of easy life. No, it wasn't. It still was hard because after I left, it took a long time for me to study the Bible. But also struggling to get food also. And so with a good summary turn, I was able also to get something for myself. And then I started the journey to look for Job in the city of Nairobi, 85 km away from where I lived to the city of Nairobi. And so that was now the beginning of me. Opened my eyes. I cannot tell you the man who really bit my shoulder here. I looked at him and then we walked with him to the church. I've never seen him.

You've never seen that?

Never seen him.

So this angel of God, whether it was an actual angel or human, he was just being an angel.

He was really a major. Because even now when I look at him, it sounded like unbelievable how on earth and that I had. I was therefore at the bridge for quite some times. And then somebody's, you know, beating my shoulder behind. And then I look and somebody. Then we walked. So the right word is really an angel. Because I feel like it was the angel of the Lord who saved me. I would have really died.

You would have died that day?

Yeah, I would have jumped over and that would have been the end for me. But God saved me. And then I reached on Nairobi. There were so many of the problems I tried to beg, but fortunately I was able. God helped me to get a place. And that place was a nation family. And they opened for me. They. I got an employment. And that employment was to clean the house and wash dishes. And the goodness of everything was about every day getting food, breakfast, lunch.

For the first time in your life, you have a house, you're living. And I remember in the movie you talked about eating some of the food you ate was the food that the family didn't eat. They had dinner and then you'd eat what was left over.

Exactly. That's what. Very, very true. And that was now for me, I was very happy. And there was no other good time like when I came from the streets and they found a place where I could get food every day, Every day. And so that made. Motivated me to work and to work hard and, you know, without limitation. And I, I worked with a lot of confidence and with a lot of joy. And so that's how it went.

Interesting. And, you know, I wish to do this episode properly. I would need to talk to you for about four hours because this is the best story. So I'm going to ask everyone watching to please watch the Molly movie. You can. It's a documentary that you guys can watch on Prime Video is how I found your, your video. And it goes through this detailed journey. If it's okay, I'd like to summarize just so that we can move to this point. But this idea of you, you start working for this family, you're living in there, you're basically just keeping things clean. And the mom sees potential in you and puts you in charge of this massive farm. You have hundreds of people that you're supervising. So you went from being homeless, begging for food, to now you're a responsible leader in this home and you meet your wife who works there, beautiful wife who's a big part of the story. And honestly, guys, watch the video because she's, she deserves her own movie as well. And then you become an entrepreneur. And this is so interesting because you go from being homeless to being one of the most successful people in Kenya as an entrepreneur. So can you describe what life was like for you at that point? You start having kids. What was, what was that part of your life like?

Well, let me say first that having worked so hard and God blessed me to have little money, not that much. And then I entered into business on taxes.

Oh, that's right. Taxes.

Yes, taxes. Yeah, tax, taxes. And therefore after that, then bought a fleet of buses. And then I, I got the supply distribution of gas and oil in the supplying to the Western Kenya. Yeah, Western Kenya. It's a big, you know we used to call province and that was my area supplying gas. And I remember also some of the trucks came from Congo, the Uganda and all the way to Mombasa and then pass through our stores where we used to supply the newbie the gas and oil and so forth. So I grew up, I had also a business owner, real estate. And I used also to give money to people by interest so that they could buy cars or they could buy even house or whatever. And so they. I became really a wealth man at my age and I was too young. I remember also was able to build up veneers. Yeah. For my family and stone beauty like just like him. Yeah.

This house is beautiful.

Yes. It was so great. Anyway, when I was still doing business and my car was stolen by in Nairobi, I went to.

This is the pivotal moment where things change. So for the audience, this is the part of the movie that's very important to pay attention to. So you're very successful, you're flying around the world. I want to add, you're flying around the world. There's a scene in New York where you're in the towers. You're like, man, I've made it. I am a global successful entrepreneur. You have more money than you could have dreamed of having as an eight year old and now you have your car stolen.

Yes, that time was the very best time ever in my life. And enjoying the oppos, moving everywhere, going Germany and usa. And when I record this, I see it is like, yeah, impossible. Only God can make that happen. But because it's just like a dream. And so anyway, one time my car was stolen when I was in Nairobi. And then that now made me to think about my early time when I was young because I had forgotten about my life when I was young. And you know, when you have wealth and you forget, people forget for sure.

We are human beings, we get used to whatever we have.

Yeah. And so the stolen car, I've never found it even today. And therefore that made me to. For three years, 1986 to 1989, I was thinking about where, God, where that car was lost. I remembered that I never gave them money.

As you were parking your car, there were these street boys and said, hey, we'll watch your car if you give us money. And you said, no, don't. I'm not going to give you money. And so it wasn't the car being stolen, it was the boys that in your head that really resonated because I think you. You said in the movie you felt connected to those boys like that you saw yourself.

Yeah, I saw my eyes. I. When I look at them. And even when I saw women carrying children at the back and walking in the street, I felt like myself. I saw myself in the eyes. And that one now never gave me peace. In the year 1989, November 17th is when I could not work anymore. I was in my office and I took my car. I decided to go home so that I could rest and then go to see that a doctor. Because I. I felt upset and things were turning around.

Yeah.

And God was working in me and trying to. The voice telling me, you are the one to go to rescue. Be the father of the fatherless. Those children, they need a father. You are the one you have. But you. I brought you up. I gave you everything you have, everything. And I want you to be a father to them.

All the homeless that you could find. Yes.

For three years searching. Three years, 1986 to 1989. And so that year, 1989, 17. November is when now I couldn't. I took my car. I was going home. I just got lost. I went the way to Uganda, that road to Uganda. And I found myself at a bridge. That bridge I was crossing then where I stopped. But I could not understand for over 35 miles that I covered. Not knowing where I'm going aimlessly, just driving. I didn't know where I was going. And when I left my office, I told myself that I was going to my house to rest and also to ask my wife to come with me to Oshto. That's how it was. But anyway, God had a purpose. And therefore from that time, I had a time with my children. And then my wife.

How many children did you have at this time?

By that time I had eight.

You had eight children at the same time?

Eight biological children.

And your children were living a very good life.

Yeah, very good life. And not one car, but several cars. So we lived our life of afference. And so then I said to them to my family, now look up here me, the Lord has said, I will serve him all the years of my life. And I will be the father to the fatherless in this country and beyond. And I will never ever. I will never return back. I'm going to be the servant. I'm going to be the father of all these children, boys and girls, the little one and the bigger one. So the following day, then I started the work. And it went for some Times there's so many people opposed my idea because I was a leader in a church.

And you were selling everything you owned. You made a decision to sell every business, all of your assets, if you were going to go straight to this part of the. And one thing I think Americans need to hear, because some of most of our audience is going to be in Africa, but some Americans here locally, sometimes people will judge the poor and the homeless as being cursed. And so you were being at your church, they. They saw this as a negative thing, right? That. That you were taking, becoming the father of all these people.

In fact, they were worried about my. Not on my life, but my children and my wife, the direction that I was taking. They thought that was very dangerous. And they advised me. The pastors came and prayed with me and the elders and I told them, nobody can tell me me, I will never ever work for money. I want now to serve the Lord. I will become the father to the fatherless and I will feed them and I will continue and I will never be the poor and I'm ready for anything. And that one made them to be upset. And then they said, this man is insane. He's mad and he need to be taken to a store to. To be checked. And me, I said, no. My wife told them, my husband is not really mad. He is. If he's mad, he's mad for Christ. How did.

How did you. I've been wanting to ask you this for the longest time. How did you know that that was God telling you to do that? What was it? What was it? Was it just a really strong feeling? Was it a vision? Like, how did you know? Because this is so inspiring. And for me, someone who wants to hear God's voice, I'd like to know how he spoke to you.

Yeah. And you know, God speak to men in different ways. Approach. And for any vision that that come from him, even since that when I said, yes, Lord, I'm going to serve you, that the moment now he also equipped me and within more knowledge and miracles or so of healing people, miracles of being able to talk and to people to see something that they are not able to see. And you know, like the world that I was asleep and I cried and cried and cried for almost two weeks because we had lost three children who had died and we had 20 more who were hospitalized. Yeah, yeah, yeah.

And to give the audience some context. So where to catch them up to speed. This is a part of your story where you come home, you tell your family you're selling everything and then You. You just start going to the slums and finding homeless orphan children and you just start bringing them home. And so you're growing and then some of your kids that you're bringing and you're just. You're doing this endlessly and this is hard for your kids, but you're bringing all these homeless children home to be their father and to give them food and shelter. But you're noticing like in this case of the well, they're getting sick from water. And so you're praying to God for an answer for the water. So just so the audience knows what you're. You're talking about.

Indeed. It was really a great miracle when we came to this place. And there was no trees, there were no bushes, it was Sunday. And the wind blowing the soil and dust, you could see it blowing. And that at the time we never had water. And that this water down the river where we are, it was somehow not really clean, polluted somehow. And then the children got a dysentery and they are weird. And yeah, three of them, they died. And the 20 were australized. We took them to Oslo and there were no hostel. I had to drive 450km away to take them to hostel very, very fast. And therefore, yeah, it was another big, big, big temptation that now to question God, why did you bring me in this dry land here? Low water, of course, we left, elaborate. Where it was a green land, very nice, raining throughout the year. But we left there because there was chaos. The people were fighting each other tribes to try. And it was not peaceful. So that's when we ran and I brought all the 312 children like 30 times.

So by then, by now you have 312 children that you have.

Yes.

And you're building houses for them and you're spending all of your money that you sold from your business to build this land out here, everything.

And then even blowing workers, teachers, because I opened a school for them and buying the equipment that were needed, building houses here for them, dormitories. We lived in a very, very poor kind of condition. Let me say that. And by the way, we had to go down. I had also myself, my wife to go down to that level so that they could accept us.

Yeah.

And because if we were to. To remain up there, then we could not hug them. They stay with us. So that was one of the things and the miracle after one another, after seven years, eight years, when now my account was going really down. I remember I went to check how much money we have in the bank and to my Surprise. I found some money and that money could take us for even three months. And then asked the bank, at the bank clerk, where has this money come from? He checked for free time and they said, no, this is not my money. I don't expect this money. So that was the first ever time to get money through money transfer. And it was way back, long time ago. 1993, 1994, that, that time. And then we kept out. Even from that time up to this day, our account has never, ever gone dry.

Wow. Neither has your water. It just seems like the Lord has provided for you every step of the way. So you keep going in this way, miracle after miracle. I'm going to beg the audience to please go watch the Molly movie or read his book because the story is transformational. And now why don't you tell the people watching, how many children have you helped raise? How many, you know, campuses do we have, that type of thing?

Yeah. Thank you. Over the last 36 years, gone since 1989, we have been able to rescue over 40,000 children from the streets. They've given them education right from grade one, grade four, because of the kid. When they come, they drop some of them, they drop schools when they are in grade four or grade six. Others, they have never gone to school. And so anyway, over 40,000 young people, boys and girls, they have gone through this program. And those who have only stayed there for about, let's say six years now, six years. And we have trained them, they came when they are a little bigger. They were able to get trained on carpentry, on building and construction, on motor mechanics and the agriculture. So many of the things that we do, cosmetics and beauty therapy, sewing, tailoring, cloth designing and all these things. And the hospitality that we have in Yataguli College where we train them. So we have a big, big number at that time. And then we help them. Those are the ones. But we have the little kid one. Those who are even born here. Yes.

You have one month year old babies. Babies you have. What's interesting is the one year, two years, all the way to high school. And then many of your kids have gone on. This is why it's the largest family in the world. Because these children literally call you daddy. And they, they just, it's very objective. It's like, yeah, Daddy, Molly says this. And they go and become lawyers and doctors. They've competed in global competitions even in America. Even.

Yeah. We have our one professor in oncology. Yeah. And in Tennessee. And then we have also others in the usual Daniels or their PhD day we have also another one who is doing final year also in university in Michigan and in Canada as well. We have quite a big number and the doctor of medicine and the nurses in Germany, because Germany we have about 27. And those 27, about 10, 12. They are married already and they are there their life, you know, and they serve. And one of the things that gave me a lot of joy is to be able to see that them having their own families.

Yes.

And most importantly is about the ethic, ethical way of life, the way they have been taught about the word of God here and the counseling and the guidance, mentorship that they get throughout when they are here and the prayers they have never departed from there. They take the same. Same thing added to the entire world in Africa as well as in Europe and the Middle east and America, of course. Yeah. There are so many countries and so.

Many of your children come back to live here and they come back to help build it. So just for a very quick like picture and again of plea, an emphasis to go watch this movie is that there was a dry, barren land and now there's trees. You have planted tens of millions of trees that have created a completely different ecosystem. Now it rains here as we had to step in here for our interview, because it's raining so much. There is water. And the water in the food isn't just for your family. You're giving it to the communities. You're. You're taking in everybody. You never say no. And as this continues to grow, I had a privilege of interviewing a number of your children yesterday are grown who came in as young. My wife and I noticed there's a pattern. They say beforehand they were destitute, they were starving, they were desperate and they'd given up hope. You brought them in. They were given love, food, spiritual nourishment. And they say above all, spiritual nourishment.

Was the most important, very important.

And there's this thing called forgiveness that is core to every single person. Can you talk to me a little bit about this pattern of helping rehabilitate these children into becoming these highly successful professionals?

Yes. One of the things is it starts with the love. Love is very powerful tool that we can use in this world and be able also to listen to them. The humility also myself going down. They train them. But if you want aim to do successful to live in peace with one another, it's by love. It's also ourselves to humble ourselves, to be able to understand also the problem, the needs of others. It's not about me. It's about the other one who has got a need and ours you can help that other person. So that is what they are learning. When I look at it I see that a brighter future for our nation, bright future for Africa. Because these people are really fiery. Because when they leave this place they have something very special and that is about knowing their rights. Knowing again that Jesus Christ as the Savior and knowing other people as people created by image of God. So that one and then working hard we train them. You have to work hard, you have to be honest, be obedient to God and again extend that love to others. So that had made really miracles and made these young people to be. To. To to to be dependent. When other people they depend even universities there is a good record, track record. The multi children family young people who go to universal local universities abroad. Their behavior they are leaders that you have trained them to become leaders. They, they are able to listen, their minds are mature. By the time a child here is 14 years, oh it's quite, quite, quite mature. They reason out, they can talk about themselves. So that is the power giving to these young people. And I see it not only in Africa or here in Kenya, but globally the world changed that we don't look at ourselves. Let us look what we can do for others. But then when you say ah, what they can do to me. No, what they can do for others.

Dr. Moline, thank you so much for being here. The people who are watching this, we are a prayer based community. What can we pray for to help you? Because obviously now you have campuses in and out of Kenya. You are expanding. Your children are starting to take over operations. Those wonderful eight children are each highly trained leaders who are taking on your legacy. But what can we pray for to help you?

Yeah, thank you so much. My prayer request is about the Muli children family will continue to flourish to win many young people who are still in the streets not only here in Kenya, but also other countries in Africa that that love may not fail, not go down. But we will continue to have that love. Because that without love, that love of God being you know inside us, we can try but we fail. And so please those who are watching this wonderful interview. I would like to say that pray for us number two. Whenever you feel touched, you can also. I was a businessman and many years ago. But I gave it all to save lives. But it is the benefit that I've gotten is more than any other person. And I count myself as one of the richest person in the womb world. Why it is because I am not working for money. I am not paid. Because everything that I get is only true for these children whom you can hear now singing and where we are going right now for the worship service. And so it is you. Please join us in making my dreams a reality. Win the whole world globally. This help the children, help the women. Those who have been isolated at this beaten and you know, they need help. And we need also, also support from you through prayers as well as financial support.

You recently had Elder Rasband visit last week from our church, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

I understand all this.

And then you also went to the open house of the Nairobi temple. Was just sharing your thoughts on those two experiences.

Well, I think for me, not only thinking, but I really get it into my heart that they are full of love and appreciate very much the work of God that is going on here at Muli. Children, family and. And they also were able. I think it was about two or three weeks when Apostle Rasband flew all the way from usa. Then we had a meeting in Rob and our children, they just arrived from Canada, the choir. Then we had a great time together and they offered a big check. And that big check will help us mostly to buy books and tech books as well. And they help the education sector because it's very expensive. And we have more than 9,000 children. Those whom we are taking care of, yes, currently active total Kenya and in Tanzania. So it needs really. It needs help, support and also financial support. But also for those who gave toward that good cause. I want to thank you so, so, so much. And may the Lord bless you and continue to really to pray for us. And we shall be praying and we really pray for all those people, even Muslim we do not know. No, we always pray for you. Because we are doing not the work of the Muli Dr. Muli. No, it is the work of the Lord 100%. And I believe so. And that's why we are growing the way we are going. Because we are serving the mighty God and his people.