At Milele Zanzibar Foundation (MZF), delivering quality and holistic programming targeting deep and lasting change is at the core of what drives our mission and quest to accelerate progress. Since their establishment in 2014, they have grown to become a reputable, reliable and respected organization in Zanzibar’s development landscape.
Through both grant making and direct programmes and projects implementation, they have steadily evolved and cemented ourself as an organization that delivers to transform the lives of vulnerable and marginalized communities in Zanzibar.
Over the years, they have been providing crucial empowerment programmes and services that are key to building the socioeconomic resilience of the supported communities. As a result, such support has kept communities in Zanzibar on a positive development trajectory. Furthermore, the progress has in turn improved the conditions of children, youth, women and numerous communities, especially those from the most marginalized areas.
At MZF, they aim to be holistic and sustainable in their endeavours and as such, they have been effectively using a variety of approaches to deliver key support. They include capacity building, strategic partnerships and strengthening local systems and structures in the Islands.
Such efforts have started showing the anticipated results. For instance, in the past three years, their programmes have resulted in the socio-economic empowerment of hundreds of women and their families, thus transforming their lives for the better. Specifically, they have led to notable progress in their areas of focus—livelihoods, education and health.
In livelihoods for example, their interventions have improved access to financial services and capital and built their beneficiaries’ capacity in financial literacy. The support has helped women commercialize their business plans and grow. Likewise, in education, they have seen our holistic approach expand learning beyond classrooms to ensure that students are able to develop employability and gain life skills that will help them to thrive beyond after graduating from school. In health, people from vulnerable communities have increased access to quality health services, thanks to their efforts to tackle challenges in health service provision.
Most importantly, they recognize that infrastructure plays an important role in community empowerment. They are happy to note that our investment in infrastructural development for the past seven years in Zanzibar has yielded results and excellent developments are already taking place. They include unlocked opportunities to grow the local economy through road rehabilitation projects, increased access to quality health services, water infrastructure investments and health centres construction and renovations. Further, they have also supported schools construction and renovations that have transformed the education and learning environment in Zanzibar.
The aforesaid are pivotal attributes needed to drive change in the lives of needy people in Zanzibar. In their unwavering commitment to supporting Zanzibar’s communities, the Board of Directors, Management and Staff will continue to deepen collaboration with the Government, partners, like-minded organizations and other stakeholders to keep the momentum of our successes for long-term impact. From their motto “Accelerating progress, It begins with you”, this has given a chance to community members affected by their programmes to amplify their voices. So you will hear from the people in North Unguja all the way to Kokota Island in Pemba giving accounts of how they have been part of our journey to transform Zanzibar.
VISION
Their vision is for vibrant, resilient and sustainable rural communities in Unguja and Pemba islands.
MISSION
Their mission is to accelerate progress in the areas of health, education and livelihood opportunities in rural and remote areas through holistic and sustainable development programmes.
APPROACH
Their approach seeks to take the individuals that they work with to move from being vulnerable to being resilient through strengthening structures, opening up access and building capacities in health, education and livelihoods with an emphasis on working from the grassroots.
STRATEGY
Their strategy is based on the belief that people they are working to support are best placed to address the challenges they face with the backing of MZF and partners empowerment programmes.
Thus, their holistic, participatory community development programme targets 24 Shehias in Unguja and Pemba. The ultimate aim of the programme over the past three years has been to improve the wellbeing of our targeted communities.
