Mission

The MEA Foundation

Profile

The MEA Foundation

MEA was certified in 2006 by the Tanzanian government to operate as an NGO subsidiary of the Anglican Diocese of Dar es Salaam. Its partnership results in greater impact and coordination of comprehensive health and social services, and a transparent method of monitoring grant activities, outcomes and funds.

Mission - To improve the health and social situation of impoverished women and children in Tanzania

Profile at a glance

 MEA is a competent and proven leader on community health issues in Tanzania.  Reducing infant and maternal mortality, HIV/AIDS education/prevention and Malaria eradication at the community level are the main priorities.

 MEA incorporates health system improvements, infrastructure and business systems that promote social changes and are compatible with economic growth.

 MEA understands the opportunities and problems in Tanzania, because of its close cooperation with the Ministry of Health, local partners and groups within target communities. 

MEA continuously evaluates the efficiency and effectiveness of its programs and services.

 MEA is a reliable partner with innovative strategies.  It actively cooperates with its Tanzanian and international partners in order to further enhance the value and sustainability of its activities.

Goals

 The principal objective of MEA’s programs is to improve the health and social situation of the impoverished in Tanzania.   It implements projects in partnership with local communities to deliver clinical health care services, public health programs and provide social infrastructure that give individuals access to basic social services and improve their quality of life.  All programs are carefully linked with other efforts in a region in order to create an integrated health and social system that best serves the needs of individuals and can become self-sustaining within 3 – 5 years.  See attached 2008 Annual Report

Principals

The MEA Foundation is the health, development, and education partner of the Anglican Diocese of Dar es Salaam created with the Ziegler’s leadership. It was formally registered with the Tanzanian Government as a non-profit organization affiliated with the Diocese of Dar es Salaam in May, 2006.

 The foundation was created to assure financial transparency, good grant management, and as a vehicle to initiate microfinance programs. It is chaired by Archbishop Valentino Mokiwa, who is Archbishop of the Anglican Church of Tanzania and also Bishop of the Anglican Church of Tanzania Diocese of Dar es Salaam.  Functionally, it combines the diocese’s Health Programs, St. Augustine Primary School, Archbishop John Sepeku Secondary School, and microeconomic initiatives into a coordinated, comprehensive community development effort.  MEA provides flexibility in partnering, greater impact through the coordination of programs, and a very strong and transparent method of monitoring grant objectives, and funds.

 As the direct recipient of funds or as a partner, MEA Foundation has managed over $600,000 in grants. The largest of the grants was the $300,000 second year (2 of 4) grant from Episcopal Relief and Development called Nets-for-Life.  Additionally, it manages a two year grant from the Anglican Church of Canada for Peer Support for people living with HIV/AIDS; Home Based Care; and the Treatment of HIV/AIDS patients for Opportunistic Infections.

 The MEA Foundation has developed and is managing a microloan program that has helped over 75people living with HIV/AIDS develop small businesses. In 2008 it managed the microfinance portion of a multiple-nation grant targeting commercial sex workers that was awarded to the Health Program of the Anglican Diocese of Dar es Salaam. 

 Supported by grants from the Fellowship of St. John Trust in England and Episcopal Diocese of Arizona, MEA continued the Incarnation AIDS Orphan program and increased the number of orphans served at one time from 100 to 150.

 The MEA Foundation was selected by USAID to distribute 75 metric tons of food to malnourished children, AIDS patients and others whose food supply is in jeopardy.  MEA manages the Chakula (Food) for Kids. This program, with both US and UK funds, has helped St Augustine Primary School children be provided with at least one nutritious meal a day.

 The Social Committee of the Tanzanian Parliament identified MEA Foundation as very successful non-profit organizations in Dar es Salaam.  Additionally, representatives from Coca Cola-Europe visited MEA Foundation’s Nets-for-Life malaria program and commended its planning and execution of the program.