Every Woman Counts: The Core Values That Shape Us
In a world full of statistics, targets, and tallies of “impact,” it’s easy to lose sight of the people behind the numbers. At Mwandamo, we are determined never to do that. Every woman in our programs represents not a data point, but a story - a voice, a journey, and a human being who deserves to feel seen, heard, safe, and cared for.
Our mission is to improve women’s health outcomes across Northern Tanzania by providing holistic education and compassionate care that empower women to understand their bodies and advocate for their health with confidence.
We founded Mwandamo because we saw a gap, not just in access to healthcare, but in how women were being treated within it. Too often, their questions went unanswered. Their concerns were dismissed. Their rights were unknown. We wanted to create something different, something human, something kind.
1. Compassion Before Metrics
We measure success not by the number of women we reach, but by how deeply we reach them. Our impact is found in quiet, powerful moments when a woman realizes her voice matters in the clinic, when a mother asks a question she’s always been afraid to ask, when a young girl leaves one of our sessions standing a little taller.
2. Education as Empowerment
We believe knowledge is a form of care. By teaching women about their bodies, their rights, and the quality of care they deserve, we help them become their own best advocates. Health education is not just information, it’s liberation.
3. Dignity in Every Interaction
In regions where women’s voices are too often dismissed, we ensure they are heard with respect and compassion. Whether speaking to healthcare providers, family members, or community leaders, we support women in standing firm in their worth.
4. Partnership, Not Paternalism
We don’t arrive with all the answers, we listen first. Mwandamo grows through partnership: with the women we serve, with local healthcare workers, and with the communities that nurture them. Together, we create spaces where women are participants in their own progress, not subjects of someone else’s charity.
5. Whole-Person Care
True health is more than the absence of illness. It’s confidence, connection, and care that encompass the physical, emotional, and social. Our approach recognizes that when women feel safe, informed, and respected, their whole families and communities thrive.
Why This Matters
Too many initiatives are designed for women, not with them. At Mwandamo, we’re working to change that, to ensure that every woman who appears in our reports and photographs is known, remembered, and respected as an individual whose wellbeing has truly improved.
Because to us, impact isn’t about how many, it’s about how deeply.
About the Founders
Hannah was born and raised in Tanzania and is a Yoga Teacher and Pregnancy & Pelvic Floor Specialist, empowering women through movement and wellbeing.
Caroline is a UK-trained midwife who has worked in Tanzania since 2014, training and mentoring midwives to strengthen local healthcare systems.
Together, we built Mwandamo on a simple belief:
“When a woman feels heard, she begins to heal. When she feels empowered, she begins to change the world around her.”