Mama na Dada Africa
Mama na Dada Africa
Not-for-profit
Year launched: 1998Target geography
Target Population
Target income level
- Bottom 20%
Health focus
- Family planning and reproductive health
- HIV/AIDS
CHMI PLUS Status
Profile Completeness Rating
Monitoring & Evaluation Reporting
Summary
Mama na Dada (Swahili for ‘Mother and Sister') is a non-government organization founded in 1998 that works to reduce maternal mortality and morbidity, infant mortality, HIV infection and malnutrition, and increase household access to clean running water and education levels.Program goals
The long-term objective of the project is to create a healthier environment for girls and women, and to empower them through education so they might gain mental and financial independence. Goals include:
- Provide information and support to enable young women and girls to get more involved in decision-making and to have their voices heard.
- Offer appropriate practical and emotional assistance to enable individuals to live independently, make informed choices, and actively participate in life within the community.
- Create a chain of learning, social activism and change so that as young women mature they will impart skills they have learned to other girls through outreach, modeling, and peer education.
Key program components
In Kunya Village, Mama na Dada Africa has developed a community-based initiative that is geared towards the empowerment of women and girls between the ages of 12 and 25. The project focuses on reproductive health, HIV/AIDS awareness and prevention, and assists the girls in attaining at least the basic education.
The organization runs Recreational Youth and VCT (HIV/AIDS Testing) Centers in Bondo District and Nairobi. The centers provide a much needed gathering place for young people to socialize and increase HIV/AIDS awareness and compassion within the whole community. The Mama na Dada program model also uses trained Community Health Workers to visit AIDS patients too ill to come to the Center, bringing porridge ingredients, nursing care, counseling, occasional legal advice and love and compassion to these gravely ill people.
Furthermore, Mama na Dada organizes support groups in Nairobi for women who have been sexually abused for personal development and psychological support. They then refer the survivors to the Nairobi Women’s Hospital for clinical treatment. Mama na Dada reaches a population of 10,000 people, 50% of whom are under 21 years of age.
In the next five years, hope is that the women and girls in the community will be so empowered that they can take over most, if not all, the activities run by Mama na Dada and run them on their own.