How a growing community of partners is helping turn a shared vision into tangible change.
October 2026
A collective commitment to maternal and newborn health: Zanzibar’s Ministry of Health, the Beginnings Fund, and implementing partners at the October 21 announcement.
People say it takes a village to raise a child. We think it works the other way too: when we look after mamas, we look after the village.
In Zanzibar, community is woven into everyday life. People gather to celebrate, to grieve, to help during life’s transitions. Pregnancy is often the exception – many women experience it alone, without steady information or reassurance, even in a culture built on community.
Our Group Care Model (GCM) was built to change that. Mamas journey through pregnancy together, and that shared community is a big part of why the model works. It is also shaping how we grow.
This October brought two exciting announcements: a new investment in Zanzibar’s maternal and newborn health, and international recognition alongside some of today’s leading changemakers. This month demonstrated that the bigger our goals get, the clearer it becomes who we need beside us to reach them.
A Major Investment in Zanzibar's Mothers and Newborns
On October 21, Zanzibar's Ministry of Health and the Beginnings Fund launched a five-year, US $9.6 million investment plan to strengthen maternal and newborn healthcare across 63 health facilities in Unguja and Pemba, reaching approximately 200,000 women and newborns by 2031. Through simulation-based learning and mentorship, WAJAMAMA will lead efforts to strengthen the healthcare workforce, scaling the Midwifery Model of Care and our GCM. For mothers, this means more timely, skilled, and respectful care during pregnancy and childbirth. For newborns, it means improved access to essential services when every moment counts. We are grateful to the Beginnings Fund for its investment and commitment to locally-led solutions, and to the Zanzibar Ministry of Health for its continued leadership and partnership. We are equally grateful to collaborate with and learn from our fellow partners: the Health Improvement Project Zanzibar (HIPZ), Ifakara Health Institute (including NEST360), and the Benjamin William Mkapa Foundation.
The next five years will be an important period of implementation, learning, and shared accountability. We look forward to documenting the progress, challenges, and lessons as this work advances.
A handshake marking the beginning of a five-year partnership between the Beginnings Fund and Zanzibar’s Ministry of Health to strengthen maternal and newborn healthcare across Zanzibar.
WAJAMAMA Named a 2027 Elevate Prize Finalist
Last year, Nafisa Jiddawi, our Founder and CEO, was nominated for the Elevate Prize and invited to apply, but chose not to as she felt WAJAMAMA was not ready. One year later, as we entered a pivotal phase of growth, we applied, and in late October, WAJAMAMA was named one of 20 finalists for the 2027 Elevate Prize, selected from more than 3,000 nominations worldwide.
The Elevate Prize Foundation recognizes social impact leaders whose work is creating change in their communities and beyond. The recognition comes as we embed our model within Zanzibar’s public health system. What stands out to us is the company we are in; our fellow finalists are bringing mental health support into hair salons, using football to open opportunities for young people, applying technology to healthcare, protecting Indigenous lands and waters, and so much more.
This recognition belongs to the many people who have helped bring WAJAMAMA to this point: the women and families who continue to shape our work; the healthcare workers delivering our programs; our government and institutional partners; our supporters; and the team working behind the scenes. It is also a proud moment for Zanzibar and Tanzania.
The 2027 Elevate Prize winners will be announced in early 2027. Until then, we are honored to be part of this remarkable community.
Four of the 20 finalists for the 2027 Elevate Prize. We are honored to be part of this cohort of change-makers working to create change in their respective ways around the world.
Scaling a Mission, Not Just a Model: Webinar with Spring Impact
In October, Nafisa joined Spring Impact's CEO Emma Colenbrander for a ScaleTales webinar reflecting on WAJAMAMA's journey toward sustainable scale. Spring Impact has been a valued partner in our journey, providing strategic guidance and helping us refine our approach to scale.
A central theme of this discussion was the importance of collaboration and local ownership. Rather than introducing a ready-made solution, WAJAMAMA has spent years co-designing our GCM with the Ministry of Health, adapting the model to local needs, existing resources, and the realities of Zanzibar’s government facilities.
"We're not just dropping a solution; we're coming in, we're co-designing."
– Nafisa Jiddawi
This approach has asked us to keep learning and adapting, but it’s the kind of sustainability worth building. By investing in frontline providers who deliver care, we will ensure that quality care reaches every mama who walks through their doors, long after our direct involvement ends.
We discussed our approach in more detail during this webinar. Listen to the full conversation here.
Our Founder and CEO reflects on the importance of co-design, government partnership, and shared ownership in scaling WAJAMAMA's GCM during Spring Impact's ScaleTales webinar.
A Growing Global Community: Every Pregnancy
This month, we were proud to officially join Every Pregnancy, a global movement that mobilizes faith-inspired giving for maternal and newborn health for 80+ partner organizations across more than 25 countries. Joining this coalition is recognition that the work we’re doing in Zanzibar belongs in a global conversation about how to make pregnancy and childbirth safer for every woman. For WAJAMAMA, this partnership will open doors to new funding opportunities and will connect us with organizations and funders globally who share our commitment to maternal health.
This weekend, we will attend Every Pregnancy’s Annual Partner Convening in Istanbul, Turkey. We look forward to bringing new perspectives home to inform how we strengthen our ability to reach more mothers and children.
Isra Chaker (right), Founder and CEO of Every Pregnancy alongside Nafisa Jiddawi, Faisa Ali, founder and CEO of Nuuma, at Sauti Ya Mama in September this year on the sidelines of UNGA and Climate Week.
Across October, Across Tanzania
Here are four more moments where our team proudly represented our mission:
Tanzania Health Summit | Dar es Salaam
Our Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Laura, participated in the CEOs & Directors in Health Roundtable, contributing to discussions on healthcare leadership, innovation, and sustainability.
Ifakara Health Institute (IHI) and Tanzania Association of Midwives (TAMA) Group Antenatal Care Workshop | Dar es Salaam
Dr. Alice Elton Mwakabuli, Clinical Program Coordinator and Neema Nkumi, Clinical Trainer, contributed to discussions with IHI and TAMA on strengthening the Midwifery Model of Care and implementing Group Antenatal Care in Tanzania mainland, sharing insights from WAJAMAMA’s experience.
ZanEMR Workshop | Zanzibar
Our team worked alongside the Ministry of Health's ICT team to review digital workflows and improve the usability of ZanEMR, Zanzibar's electronic medical records system. This ongoing collaboration helps align GCM with national health information systems and supports better clinical documentation and monitoring.
TAMSA SUZA Health Innovation Summit | Zanzibar
Over 500 students and healthcare professionals came together for the Tanzania Medical Students Association's (TAMSA) Health Innovation Summit at the State University of Zanzibar (SUZA). Our team was inspired to speak about maternal health and share the innovations we use in our work, including simulation-based learning tools. We were also inspired by the Guest of Honour, Hon. Dr Zeyana Hamid (MP) - Vice Chairperson of the Parliamentary Standing Committee for Health and HIV/AIDS and Zanzibar Member of the IPU Delegation - and her commitment to students and healthcare innovation.
We are grateful to have taken part in these engagements as they reflect a common priority: connecting knowledge, people, and institutions. We are also always grateful to continue learning wherever our journey takes us.
WAJAMAMA’s team represented at the TAMSA SUZA Health Innovation Summit, alongside speaker and Guest of Honor Hon. Dr. Zeyana Abdallah Hamid (center).
Looking Ahead
As we near the end of 2026, we’re looking ahead to the new year with excitement. In 2027, we will begin our work with the Beginnings Fund while continuing to scale our GCM across Zanzibar’s public health system. In the meantime, we’re deepening our focus on training, and our team members continue to represent us on international platforms. The connection, collaboration, and momentum continue, and we can’t wait to build on them in the year ahead.
It takes a village, and this October, ours stretched far beyond Zanzibar, through new partnerships, recognition, global forums, and conversations with changemakers around the world. We’re carrying that energy and focus into the next chapter. As always, stay tuned!
With gratitude,
The WAJAMAMA Team