Learn more about mothers2mothers
1.Tell us about your mission.
mothers2mothers (m2m) is an Africa-based non-governmental organization (NGO) with a simple and effective mission – to ensure healthy, thriving families and an end to pediatric AIDS. Our success and impact are rooted in the Mentor Mother Model of peer mentorship, role modelling, and high-impact interventions. We train and employ local women living with HIV, often society’s most marginalized population, as Mentor Mothers,—frontline health workers who educate and support women and their families to access healthcare, initiate any care they need, and adhere to their treatments. Our evidence-based programs are designed to reach, educate, and engage the most vulnerable women, children, and families, strengthen public health systems, and catalyze the achievement of the UNAIDS 95-95-95 Fast Track Targets for HIV epidemic control as well as the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals.
Since 2001, m2m Mentor Mothers have provided life-saving services to more than 11 million women and children under two years of age, and by virtually eliminating pediatric AIDS among our clients for the last six years, have contributed to the reduction of pediatric HIV in the countries in which we operate. From a single site in Cape Town, South Africa, we have expanded our footprint across sub-Saharan Africa, created jobs for more than 11,000 women living with HIV as Mentor Mothers, and empowered millions more women to actively drive positive health outcomes for themselves and their families. From an initial focus on preventing mother-to-child transmission of HIV, m2m now delivers a range of services including early childhood development, adolescent health, screenings for malaria and tuberculosis, and support for non-communicable diseases (NCDs), to ensure the whole community not only survives, but thrives.
2. How is The West Foundation supporting your mission?
The West Foundation has been a dedicated m2m partner since 2013, recognizing the game-changing role of Mentor Mothers at the heart of addressing some of the most pressing challenges facing families in sub-Saharan Africa. Its President and Executive Director, Emily West, has been an important advocate on behalf m2m’s belief in the power of mothers to ensure healthy, thriving families, and end pediatric AIDS.
3. Considering your impactful work to eliminate poverty, how is The West Foundation’s philanthropic support providing you with sustainability and mobility?
The West Foundation supports m2m by providing us with the most valuable grants possible, the unrestricted funding which affords us the flexibility and trust needed to be creative in program design, while allowing us to cover both programmatic and operational expenses. As an organization that prioritizes the social and economic mobility of women, their families, and communities, The West Foundation gives m2m the mobility to allocate funds where the needs are more urgent and greatest, which in turn ensures the sustainability of our programs across Africa.
The importance of unrestricted funding has never been more apparent than now, as m2m pivots to address the double pandemics of HIV and COVID-19. Our recently launched “Virtual Mentor Mother” platform allows us to deliver a sophisticated virtual system for providing emergency COVID-19 interventions in addition to our in-person core m2m health services.
4. How are you realizing your potential?
Since its infancy, m2m has consistently made measurable strides in reaching its mission to eliminate pediatric HIV and create health and hope in the families and communities we serve. Within the last year we have launched programs in three new countries—Angola, Ghana, and Tanzania—bringing our total countries of operation to ten.
In 2019, we enrolled almost 1 million new clients, and reached 27% more adolescents and 20% more children compared to 2018. Just 0.08% of pregnant or breastfeeding women who were HIV-negative when enrolled in m2m’s program contracted HIV in 2019, which is 45 times lower than a 2020 estimate of the rate across sub-Saharan Africa (3.6%). 95% of our clients reported consistent condom use, up from 68% in 2018. 97% of infants born to HIV-positive mothers received anti-retroviral drops, a key preventative measure, up from 90% in 2018. And 84% of children born to an HIV-positive mother received a final HIV test between 18 – 24 months of age, a vital step to ensuring the child has not become infected during breastfeeding, up from 73% in 2018.
Most notably, with a transmission rate of just 1.9%, m2m has achieved virtual elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV among enrolled clients for the sixth consecutive year!
5. What’s one important thing you want others to know about your organization?
The m2m Mentor Mother Model is a robust strategy that empowers, trains, and employs women from local communities, and has been proven to be adaptable and well suited to address myriad issues beyond our initial mandate to end pediatric HIV. By creating local role models and breaking the cycle of stigma and discrimination, the model is ideal for eradicating and curtailing other noncommunicable diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and kidney diseases.
To ensure that we’re supporting women and families at all stages of life, we offer a wide range of services:
- Women (ages 15-49) – Essential health services include: sexual and reproductive health (i.e. HIV/STI prevention and treatment, family planning); screening for malaria and TB; ensuring healthy pregnancies, safe deliveries, and quality postnatal care; treatment initiation, retention and adherence support for HIV-positive pregnant and postnatal women to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV; strengthening economic wellbeing and food security.
- Children (ages 0-9) – m2m is committed to ensuring that every child thrives, not just survives, by integrating services to protect and improve the health of development of infants into our core Peer Mentor program by: providing early childhood development support and education; tailoring support for HIV-positive or -exposed children and families including testing, disclosure, treatment initiation, adherence and retention support; nutrition education and immunizations; and assistance with registering births and accessing social services.
- Adolescents (ages 10-24) – m2m supports adolescents and young women to make healthy choices and protect themselves from HIV by providing peer-led, age-appropriate interventions in schools and communities that link to services at health centers. Services include: sexual and reproductive health education and services; age-appropriate interventions to prevent new HIV infections and unplanned pregnancies; prevention of mother-to-child transmission services for HIV-positive pregnant and postnatal adolescent girls and young women.
6. How can people reading this help you?
We are always looking for a variety of partners – from individuals, corporations, and government agencies, to other nonprofit organizations. In terms of monetary support, there are many ways you can support us in reaching our mission – organize virtual events to create awareness and collect donations, spread the word to friends and family, create Facebook fundraisers, and follow us on social media.
On October 25th, we will host Cycle2Zero@home, our first virtual adventure. Usually taking place in an African country where m2m operates, this year, we are bringing the cycle to you. Together we will collectively pedal more than 3,000 miles, day and night, over 36 hours. We cycle in solidarity with our incredible Mentor Mothers, who need our support now more than ever during this global health emergency. For more ideas, please check out our website www.m2m.org.
And finally, because mothers2mothers Mentor Mothers have been deemed essential frontline workers, they are putting their lives on the line every day to combat the double pandemic of HIV and COVID-19. Your financial support can help us continue to meet the changing health needs of the one million women and families that rely on us across nine African nations as we scale up our response and adapt our services.
7. What are your deepest needs as an organization?
As m2m works to ensure healthy, thriving families and an end to pediatric AIDS, we rely on the dedication, passion, and support of tireless partners and funders around the world. Ending HIV is just the start, and we are bent on achieving impact on a global scale. We know that women and mothers are central to any and all long-lasting systems change. We need to reach all women and children everywhere. We are looking to expand the Mentor Mother Model to ensure that, whether they live in Louisiana or Lesotho, every family is able to access life-saving care. We welcome you to join us as we change the face of healthcare, putting the Mentor Mother Model at the center of the solution to eliminate pediatric AIDS and provide health and hope for families everywhere.
Photo courtesy: mothers2mothers